Telecenter Projects
for Rural Developmentin Thailand
Thusanai Piarabutr (Ph.D.)
eVillage Project

The Collaborative Study Project of JTEC (Japan) & MCF (Myanmar)
International Workshop on ICT Center in Yangon, Myanmar

5-8 July, 2014

Content• Introduction• Role of Telecenter in Community Development in Thailand• Applications and Contents• Operation Management, Facilities• Policy, Private Public Partnership, USO Fund
• Lessons Learned From Thailand

2Timeline of Telecenter in Thailand
Pilot Projecton Telecenter
2001-2003

1995

DLTV

2000

USO I
2005-2009

USO II2010

USO III
2012-2016

20052010

2015

Net Moobanby APT, PTD, TOTeDLTV

ICT Center by MICTThe Telecom Act 2001

USO Plan
2012-2016

USO NET by NBTCThe NBTC Act 2010
Source: NBTC, MICT, APT, TOT, DLF, as of June, 2014

Role of Telecenter in Community
Development in Thailand• Develop people’s technology skills and knowledge in using ICT• Provide opportunities for the citizen in remote area to learn withcomputer and internet• Promote learning with ICT both teachers and students in rural area
• Help the healthcare center for accessing, handling and exchanging

their information• Develop new careers for citizen in rural

Applications and Contents

Distance Learning

6

Distance Learning Foundation(DLF)• The Distance Education Via Satellite Foundation or as commonly
know as the Distance Learning Foundation was established tocommemorate the 50th Anniversary of His Majesty the King (King(Bhumibol Adulyadej) 50th King's Accession to the Throne in 1996.
• Currently, the Distance Learning Television Station in Hua Hin

operates the live satellite broadcast of the whole basic education
curriculum, Grade1 to Grade12 and 3 non--formal education on15channels.

7

Operation Management& Facilities

Community-Based Integrated Rural Development Center (CBIRD)
Lam Plai Mas , Burirum ProvinceCommunity-Based Integrated Rural Development Center (CBIRD)
Ban Phai, Khon Kaen ProvinceBhra Bhuddha Bat Health Care Center
Sri Chiangmai District, Nong Khai ProvinceTelecenter Pilot Project
Net MooBan Configuration

Each selected site will be provided with one public Internet and one public card phone using the available local loop
access technology.
5-9 August 2002

12

USO I
Local Loop Technology• Copper Wire for CBIRD at Ban Phai, Khon Kaen(Data Speed : 34 Kbps)

5-9 August 2002

13

Telecenter
Pilot Project in 2001

5-9 August 2002

Multi-Purpose Community Tele ServiceCenter14

Pay Phone by Satellitein USO II & III

USO II (2010)

IPSTARGatewayUSO III(2012-2016)

Patch cord
สาย Lanสาย RJ11SLAสาย Lan
Wi - Fi

Switch Ethernet

Training on Using Internet• Basic Course on Internet• Participants– Community Leaders– 2 Days training– Local People– Using Internet– Students– Information Searching– Teachers– E-mail

5-9 August 2002

Multi-Purpose Community Tele ServiceCenter18

Policy
Private Public Partnership
USO FundPilot Projects onTelecenter
USO Policy

USO I

2001-2003
2005-2009(1) To develop a sustainable Extending basicoperating model (2) Toaccess to remote
develop a guideline forarea
preparing regulatory policies
and operation for USO

USO II

USO III

2010
Extending basic accessto remote area

2012-2016
Extending basic accessto rural area,
uneconomic area andunserved area and inline with the national
broadband policy

Service andApplication

Basic telephone and dial-up
internet

Basic telephone
Basic telephone, publicand public payphone payphone, internet

Basic telephone andbroadband internet(2Mbps) and ICT
training

Target Area

Mooban (Village), Healthcare Mooban (Village),
Center, school
Healthcare Centersmall-sized schools,
community (requestfrom communities)

School, Wat (Temple),
Healthcare Center,social organizations

Target GroupChildren grade 1-6, low
income people

Physicaldisabilities, elders,
low income

children, students,
physical disabilities,elders, low income

all citizen

Funding

PTD, APT, TOT

Licensee condition Licensee condition andand USO Fund, NTC USO Fund, NTC

Licensee condition andUSO Fund, NBTC

Collaboration

TOT

CAT, TOT

CAT, TOT, 3BB, JASTEL,AIN, SBN

All Telecom licensees

Output3 Community-Based
Integrated RuralDevelopment of thePopulation & Development
Association (CBIRD), 1School, 1 Healthcare Center,6,000 Mooban,
4000 Healthcare
Centers, 1,000,000million people(physicaldisabilities, elder,
low income)maintenance of 29,745
basic telephone andpayphones in phase I,
1,555 Mooban, 520 USO
NET for schools, 419
USO NET for community,
40 USO NET for society

individual telephone
95% of population,
Broadband (2Mbps)
80% of population

USO Plan 2012-2016
Principle

In line with with the National Broadband policy
Meet demand both target areas and target groups
Priorities area which uneconomic are and underserved area
required resources for funding should be fairDefinition ofUniversal Service
Goal and KPI

Sustainable services and improve quality of life
Participation by all sectors will lead to transparency and auditable
Promote and develop both wire and wireless network for univeral access
Create opportunities and capability of all citizen especially low income, physicaldisabilities, children, elder
Use the funding from the Fund for Researching and Developing the Braodcast
and Telecom Market cost effectively, transparency and auditable.
telephone and internet services with speed of 2Mbps and end user terminal
software, and training (if necessary)
Individual telephone covers 95% of population and 80% for broadband InternetUSO Funding

3.75% of revenue from all licensees

Method ofOperation

AuctionStrategy andoperation
guidelines

Build database for recoring information such as surveyed areas, cost of proving
telecom services

Objective

Promote and building demand for broadband internet
Integration between government agencies and private sectors
Create measures to meet the goal of USO (incentives, international cooperation
for developing USO)
Monitoring and evaluation the plan every two years

Source: NBTC, USO Plan 2012-2016

Goals of USO Plan 2012-2016
G1
G2
G3
G4G5G6G7G8G9G10G1195% of population has Individual telephone
1-2 line of payphone for underserved villages
80% of population hasaccess to broadband internet(2Mbps)Provide Internet Center for Community, Schools,
Hospital of Health Promotion (at least 2Mbps) inunderserved area
Provide Internet access to household in underzed
zone at least 50,000 households
Provide Internet Center for low income, physicaldisabilities, children, elder, disadvanatged people atleat 500 centers
Provide communication system for physicaldisabilities at least 100,000 people
Promote and develop content that fit to theircommunity's needs
Promote and develop skill and knowledge for people
especially for low income, physical disabilities,
children, elder, disadvanatged people at leat
500,000 people
Carry out a study of providing emergency telephoneservices within one year period of time
Support study, research and experimetal study thatwill be benefit fordevelopment of telecommuncation
sector and development of USO

Lessons Learned
From Thailand

Pilot Project on Telecenter

Source: TOT, 2002

Site Survey for
Project Proposal
Nong Khai Province, Contiguous
border to Laos
Khon Kaen Province,
Central of Northeastern region
Burirum Province,
Contiguous border to Cambodia•

North-eastern region, gateway
to Indo-China•

13 surveys covering– Schools– Sub-district Administrative Offices– Community Centers– Health Care Centers

Project Benefits of Telecenter
Pilot Project 2001-2003• Create digital opportunities for people

in rural areas• Offer Internet access apart frombasic phone services• Promote rural people’s learning and working efficiency• Successful operating model can be replicated on alarger scale
5-9 August 2002

Multi-Purpose Community Tele ServiceCenter27

MICTProject Name
ObjectivesTarget area

ICT CenterDeveloping
human capacity incomputer andaccess to theInternet
unservedcommunities

NBTC
USO NET
providing public
internet accessunserved Schoolsand communities
in rural area
Target people
pupils, teachers
Children, elder,
criple, the poor
Providers
MICT by any
NBTC by Telecom
Licensees
Collaboration
Ministry ofBasic Education
Education
Agency,Consultant
Services and Applications Broadband access Broadband accessFunding
Government
USO Fund andBudget
manatory service
obligations

29

30

No. of sites
800

675

700
600
504

500
416400313300200
781000CentralNorthEastNortheast

South

ICT Centers by MICT
Source: http://www.thaitelecentre.org/, as of 2013
31

32

33

USO NET School
USO II, 201034

Source: http://usonet.nbtc.go.th/th/?page_id=277

USO NET Community
USO II, 2010

http://usonet.nbtc.go.th/th/?page_id=27335

Lesson Learned
It is not a matter of circumstance ortechnology, it is a matter ofdiscipline
1. A Discipline of Monitoring andEvaluation
2. A Discipline of Collaboration

Two Flywheels Drive Thailand’s USO
and Social ChangesPPC R C RPPPC R C R C RPPC R C RPMICTSocial Impact

PC R C RPPPC R C R C RPPC R C RMICTBiography
Thusanai Piarabutr (Ph.D.)

Thusanai Piarabutr (Ph.D.) was born in Thailand in 1953. He earned BSc. in electrical technology andcommunications from Institute of Technology and Vocational Education , and MSc. in Development
Economics from NIDA, and M.Eng. (Telecom ) and Ph.D. (MOT) from AIT.
More than 39 years, he worked for TOT in various positions including serving as Senior Director ofFundamental Technical Plan, serving as VPs in Competency Development Planning, Multimedia
Network Management, Multimedia Product Development, serving as EVP of Corporate Strategy, andserving as SEVPS of HR and Internal Audit.
For his leadership, he was a key person to drive TOT toward Service Excellence Program and play animportant role in developing Internet infrastructure of TOT such as ISP, IX, IIG.
He also served as the board members such as Director of Board Committee of the Centre for Network
Research (CNR), Faculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, and Director of TOT OS.
For research experience, he conducted co-researches entitled "A Study of Government Information
Network" for the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) and "The Study of Experimental
Development of Community Communication Centers in Rural Areas of Thailand" for Asia PacificCommunity (APT).
For social contribution, he served as the Thailand Quality Awards’ Assessor from 2010-2013. For
personal achievement, he was awarded the TOP HR 100 in Thailand in 2012.
He is now living in Nonthaburi, Thailand with his wife Araya and three sons: Omega, Earth, and Arch.

Thank You
Thusanai Piarabutr
thusanai@gmail.com