13 July 2022

Thailand’s leading operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) has secured the services of China’s ZTE to launch a 5G innovation centre as a hub for research collaborations and joint 5G innovations.

Under the terms of the deal, the latter will be the former’s strategic partner to upgrade to key technologies such as 5G.

“We are a digital life service provider that focuses on unlocking digital tech such as 5G, a vital piece of infrastructure to enhance the country’s capabilities in the digital economy,” said Somchai Lertsutiwong, CEO of AIS. “This brings us the potential for our investments to deliver a wide variety of experiences and smart services to AIS customers, the Thai public and a range of industrial sectors.”

Lertsutiwong added that AIS has “always been confident that 5G will become a key variable in the near future to affect transformation, from consumer behaviour to social contexts, and the growth of Thailand’s digital economy”.

Xu Ziyang, CEO of ZTE, added: “We will continue to innovate in 5G technical solutions and applications, and work with AIS to jointly explore the huge potential of 5G networks in the digital economy era.”

AIS is expanding its 5G network to cover all 77 provinces of Thailand. The carrier’s 5G network currently reaches 78% of the population, with the aim of reaching 85% by the end of this year.

The 5G centre is due be completed by the third quarter of 2022.