Thailand to create 400K Wi-Fi spots in 2014

Thailand's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry will provide free Wi-Fi services at more than 400,000 spots by next year. 

According to Anudit Nakornthap, the country's ICT Minister, more than 270,000 free Wi-Fi spots has been installed throughout the country in the last two years while another 150,000 spots will be added in 2014, the Pattaya Mail reported.

This will give 7.7 million to 10 million people in the country access to the free Wi-Fi. People can also register for free use of the 2Mbps Wi-Fi for a six-month period and each access lasts 20 minutes, at a total of two hours a day.

The minister in December 2012 had announced that it targeted the rollout of at least 250,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in 2013 and 400,000 by 2015, with a 950 million baht (US$30.78 million) budget by the research arm of the nation's telecom watchdog National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

State-owned telco TOT will also be in charge of providing Wi-Fi equipment, managing and maintaining the network, while several public and private agencies have been assigned to install the ICT Wi-Fi system, the report noted. 

Previously, the Wi-Fi project was only supported by the country's ICT Ministry, who announced in late December 2011 it will offer free public Wi-Fi in greater Bangkok area. After three years, the ministry would hand the service over to TOT and CAT Telecom to manage the free Wi-Fi.