Laos vs. Thailand
Telecommunications
| Laos | Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 1,490,831 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20.28 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 5.415 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7.84 (2019 est.) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 4,362,183 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59.33 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 129.614 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 187.62 (2019 est.) |
| Internet country code | .la | .th |
| Internet users | total: 1,845,437 percent of population: 25.51% (July 2018 est.) | total: 38,987,531 percent of population: 56.82% (July 2018 est.) |
| Telecommunication systems | general assessment: reliance on radio network to communicate with remote areas; regulatory reform is below industry standards; government aims to strengthen infrastructure and attract foreign investment; low fixed-broadband penetration; dominance in mobile broadband with 4G and LTE, but low compared to other Asian markets; ASEAN Digital Hub investment provides international capacity; state owns almost all media, except for some entertainment outlets, and has suppressed some news; importer of broadcasting equipment and computers from China; providers examining m-payment platforms and 5G tests (2021) (2020)domestic: fixed-line 21 per 100 and 61 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2019) international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: high-quality system, especially in urban areas; mobile and mobile broadband penetration are on the increase; FttH has strong growth in cities; 4G-LTE available with adoption of 5G services; seven smart cities with aim for 100 smart cities by 2024; one of the biggest e-commerce markets in Southeast Asia; fixed-broadband and mobile marketplace on par with other developed Asian markets; development of Asian data center underway; Internet connectivity supported by international bandwidth to Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong, and terrestrial cables with neighboring countries; two more submarine cables under construction with anticipated landings in 2022; government restricts Internet and freedom of press, with additional constraints in response to pandemic-related criticism in 2020; importer of broadcasting equipment and integrated circuits from China and export of same to neighboring countries in Asia (2021) (2020)domestic: fixed-line system provided by both a government-owned and commercial provider; wireless service expanding rapidly; fixed-line 4 per 100 and mobile-cellular 186 per 100 (2019) international: country code - 66; landing points for the AAE-1, FEA, SeaMeWe-3,-4, APG, SJC2, TIS, MCT and AAG submarine cable systems providing links throughout Asia, Australia, Africa, Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean, 1 Pacific Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
| Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 45,379 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2018 est.) | total: 10,108,819 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 14.63 (2019 est.) |
| Broadcast media | 6 TV stations operating out of Vientiane - 3 government-operated and the others commercial; 17 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated stations in Vientiane; Chinese and Vietnamese programming relayed via satellite from Lao National TV; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 1 SW, and 3 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible | 26 digital TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally, 6 terrestrial TV stations in Bangkok broadcast nationally via relay stations - 2 of the stations are owned by the military, the other 4 are government-owned or controlled, leased to private enterprise, and all are required to broadcast government-produced news programs twice a day; multi-channel satellite and cable TV subscription services are available; radio frequencies have been allotted for more than 500 government and commercial radio stations; many small community radio stations operate with low-power transmitters (2017) |
Source: CIA Factbook
