CAT builds Bt6bn fibre-optic network

High-speed Internet, TV, phone for 400,000 households

By early next year, people in Bangkok will be able to enjoy what CAT Telecom is calling its "Triple Play" - high-speed Internet, television and telephone - all from one connection to a new fibre-optic cable network.

The state agency is planning to deploy a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network costing Bt6 billion in Bangkok and three neighbouring provinces - Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan - with 400,000 "ports", or home connections.

CAT Telecom's corporate policy manager Sirote Ratanamahatana said the Cabinet approved the agency's FTTP investment plan late in April.

The plan includes laying down the fibre-optic network throughout Bangkok and the neighbouring provinces with the aim of providing all 400,000 ports within the next three years. As well as the physical network, the main costs will include node equipment, modems and network-management equipment.

The first connections to the new FTTH service are expected to be made early next year, and CAT Telecom aims to have at least 50,000 users by the end of 2011.

Sirote said CAT Telecom would offer the service directly to users. The two initial high-speed Internet service packages will cost Bt1,500 per month for 25 Megabits (Mbps) per second and Bt2,000 per month for 100 Mbps.

"This is the primary service, but if users want the Triple Play service they can add television and telephone at an extra cost. This will depend on how our marketing team designs the Triple Play or bundled packages," he said.

CAT Telecom's marketing strategy is to offer not only the high-speed Internet service, but to team up with business partners - content providers - to provide bundled services which will increase the average revenue per unit of its customers.

"While we are on track to implement the FTTH network in Bangkok and the other three provinces, we have also implemented some FTTH infrastructure in some areas of other provinces, such as Phuket, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri," Sirote said.

CAT Telecom is also planning to implement FTTH networks in 10 provinces throughout the country in parallel with its roll out in Bangkok, Nonthaburi. Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan.

"In provincial areas, we will not invest on our own, but will use the FTTH networks of others to deliver our services. With this model, we expect to begin offering FTTH services in those 10 provinces late this year," Sirote said.

He said the investment cost in FTTH networks was about Bt25,000 per port. So if every one of Bangkok's 4 million households wanted an FTTH service, the investment required in order to provide it would be about Bt100 billion.

While most Bangkok people have never before experienced an FTTH service, people in some provinces, such as Chon Buri, have had such services for several years. In Chon Buri, pioneer FTTH service provider Miracle Wave offers a fibre-optic service in Laem Chabang district.

Miracle Wave's managing director Tanongsak Padporm said his company had offered FTTH services for almost two years. In the first year the service was free of charge. Commercial services began early last year. Currently, Miracle Wave has about 700 customers. Its main services are high-speed Internet connection plus Wi-Fi (with 300 Wi-Fi access points throughout Laem Chabang), video on demand and Internet-protocol television.

The cost of Miracle Wave's services range from Bt590 per month for 4Mbps to Bt1,490 per month for 10Mbps and Bt3,500 per month for 30Mbps. This does not include an implementation fee of Bt1,000 and an equipment-guarantee fee of Bt3,900.

"We expect to have 3,000 customers by the end of this year, while our FTTH network will support up to 10,000 ports. We plan to invest more if the demand increases. By the end of this year, we will also expand our network to offer FTTH services to people in Pattaya as well," Tanongsak said.

Robot uses sign language

A local software company is helping to develop a robot that will be able to read Thai sign language, so it can be used to assist disabled people.

The project is a joint effort between CT Asia Robotics and the Science Faculty of Chiang Mai University.

CT Asia Robotics' chief executive Chalermpon Punnotok said collaboration between his company and the Engineering Faculty involved computational intelligence technologies in both computer vision and robotics.

A prototype has now been developed that is capable of understanding four or five words in sign language from total 400 photos of sign language, helping it to communicate with people who have no ability to speak.

Chalermpon said the robot's eyes, or cameras, captured the movements of sign language and processed these language "pictures" with computer vision technology, matching the movements with words stored in the robot's memory. Then the robot says the word out loud, in a sentence.

He said the next step involved working with the Thai Association of Dumb People to develop a complete database of sign-language words.

"We want to develop robots not only to help dumb people, but also to serve all types of disabled people and even the elderly," he said. "In Thailand, there are about 118,000 dumb people. If they have robots as assistants, to give them easy contact with the world, their lives will be more comfortable."

Research and development collaboration between CT Asia Robotics and Chiang Mai University is just a beginning. The company plans to undertake in-depth research and development in the area of robot assistants for the disabled and the elderly.

"We aim to be exporting healthcare robots within the next three years," Chalermpon said. "The potential market for these robots is huge, because society is ageing. To achieve our mission, we need a research and development budget of between Bt300 million and Bt400 million, so we are seeking support from the government."

Microsoft Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010 reach RTM milestone

Official RTM (Release to Manufacturing) versions of Microsoft's new Office 2010 software released.

Following the overwhelming response to the Office 2010 beta version and after gathering feedback from beta users around the world, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited is excited to announce that Microsoft Office 2010 has now reached the final stage in its development process and has been released to manufacturing (RTM) - paving the way for its upcoming business launch in June. In addition to Office 2010, SharePoint 2010, Visio 2010 and Project 2010 have also hit RTM status and are now moving into their mass production stage within April.

"RTM is regarded as the final engineering milestone before launch and is a major achievement for all of the internal teams who have worked hard to bring the 2010 set of products to customers around the world," said Lisa Lam, Marketing Director, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited said. "Since the public beta in November, more than 7.5 million people worldwide have downloaded the set of 2010 beta products; with more than 67,000 of these downloads from Thai users. Their feedback, and the feedback of more than 5,000 corporate customers and partners, has helped to make the 2010 set of products our strongest yet - and the premier productivity suite for users across the PC, mobile phone and Web browser platforms."

With this wave of new 2010 Office solutions, Microsoft is set to deliver a fresh user experience that will transform the way you work with your PC, encouraging users to not only boost their work efficiency, but also bring their ideas to life. Designed to accurately meet the demands of today's modern work environment, the development lifecycle of these products has focused heavily on collaboration and user feedback, including a technology adoption program (TAP), rapid deployment program (RDP) and technical beta program, which saw more than 5,000 Microsoft corporate customers and partners work together to test and deploy the 2010 set of products. The figure of 7.5 million beta downloads is further evidence of this and is more than three times the number of Office 2007 beta downloads.

Available in 37 languages and both 32 and 64-bit versions, the Office 2010 RTM release is currently available for download by Technet and MSDN subscribers since April 22. The full range of Office 2010 software tools will be launched to businesses in June, while business organizations and consumers in Thailand will be able to purchase it in May and June 2010 respectively.

Microsoft (Thailand) Limited is also offering a 'Microsoft Office 2010 Upgrade Option' program for general consumers and small businesses who purchase Microsoft Office 2007 from now until September 30th, 2010. They will be able to upgrade it to Office 2010 during July and October 31. Readers who are interested to find out more details on the program period and other relevant details can contact http://www.microsoft.com/thailand/office/techguarantee or contact their local Microsoft OEM partner or dealer, which will be listed on Microsoft's website at www.microsoft.com/thailand/partnerfinder/license or Microsoft call center at 02 263 6888.

Vendors fight for space at rally sale on silom road

Police had to intervene yesterday after about 500 rally-affected vendors found their stalls for the walking street sale on Silom Road taken over by unregistered vendors.

Surakiart Limcharoen, director of Bang Rak district, said Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) officials closed Silom Road at 11pm on Friday to set up some 2,000 booths for the Together We Can Grand Sale.

But when the registered vendors arrived the next morning, outsiders had already occupied their stalls and refused to give them up, he said.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Thaya Teepasuwan said she had Surakiart file complaints with police against the vendors who were not part of the government assistance scheme.

She also instructed police and BMA officials to help the registered traders gain access to their assigned places as soon as possible and have the interlopers move to a location further down the road.

The BMA learned a lesson from this to have the stalls guarded until all registered vendors claim them, he said.

Next weekend another trade event to help riot-affected retailers will be held on Rang Nam Road, near Victory Monument.

Metropolitan Police blocked off another one-kilometre stretch of Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Road from Sathorn to Surawong intersections for the registered vendors.

Maj-General Panu Kerdlarppol, the deputy Metropolitan Police chief responsible for traffic, said the closure did not affect traffic in the area, as many motorists knew about the walking street and had avoided the surrounding area. One lane was also left open for vehicles.

This measure helped avoid fighting between the regular vendors on Silom Road and the visiting vendors who had signed up at the Bang Rak district office to sell goods during the weekend fair. However it came after city officials failed to talk the unregistered vendors out of the stalls.

The registered vendors were just told to wait until the issue could be resolved, but some decided to leave.

Nakan Niwatnirat, who had joined the event to sell food, said he would just go home and urged the organiser not to allow those who weren't affected by the riots to sell goods next time.

"Many registered vendors who were affected by the riots can't find a space to sell. Some who were using the stalls without permission claimed to have been working there for 10-20 years, so I didn't dare drive them out."

Thai economy should rely more on Asia and ASEAN, says economist

The Thai economy should shift to rely more on Asian and intra-ASEAN markets, according to a leading economist.

Speaking at annual meeting of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), agency director Narongchai Akrasanee said Thai economic and political affairs must be restructured under the 11th National Economic and Social Development plan.

The Thai economy must not rely on the United States destinations any longer.

Investors should turn to do more business with Asian countries and ASEAN members, including Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam, and open new markets such as Africa, China, India, and the Middle East, he advised.

Mr. Narongchai said entrepreneurs must pay greater attention to innovative products and designs and government must help stimulate demand.

Intellectual property protection must also be given priority, beginning with upgrading the Intellectual Property Department being upgraded to the same status as the Board of Investment (BoI), Mr. Narongchai said. (TNA)