Thai regulator holds public hearing on revised telco plan

Stakeholder feedback to aid in bridging digital divide in Thailand.

Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has held a public hearing in relation to its amended Plan for Universal Service Provision of Basic Telecommunications and Social Services.

The regulator, which seeks to address the so-called digital divide in Thailand, gathered various stakeholders on 29 April both onsite in Bangkok and online to gather feedback from the likes of business operators, government agencies, and civil society organisations.

"This feedback will be used to appropriately revise the announcement by the NBTC Office," said the regulator, referring to the draft NBTC announcement on the Plan for Universal Service Provision of Basic Telecommunications and Social Services, Edition 4 (2023) (Amended Edition 2) (Additional).

The public hearing was chaired by NBTC Commissioner Torpong Selanont.

Under NBTC's Universal Service Obligation (USO) plan, the goal is to increase telecom connectivity particularly in underserved and impoverished areas. Telco operators in Thailand are tasked with carrying out USO projects under NBTC standards.