Thai government expands public free WIFI hotspots

BANGKOK, May 3 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), will soon spend a budget of some 950 million baht to install additional 150,000 public free WIFI hotspots nationwide, aimed at improving public learning and access to information. ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap signed an agreement with NBTC Chairman Air Chief Marshal Thares Punsri in Bangkok on Friday to spend the sum from the fund for broadcasting and telecommunications research and development to expand the countrywide public free WIFI hotspots, including those at public hospitals, police stations and popular tourist destinations, from about 120,000 public hotspots nationwide currently. The ICT minister assessed that the additional funding should be enough for the 150,000 new public WIFI hotspots nationwide, and that the additional installation should be complete within three years and seven months. The fund for broadcasting and telecommunications research and development, which amounts to about 6 billion baht, is also ready to sponsor other ICT projects, including subsidies for digital TV set-top boxes. (TNA)