Internet Development in Lao PDR

1
Digital Opportunity Sustainable Development in
Lao PDR
Phonpasit PHISSAMAY Director of Information
Technology Center Science Technology and
Environment Agency
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Outline

• Review of ICT development
• ICT Infrastructure development
• Some Important ICT Projects
• Digital Opportunity Sustainable Development
• Capacity Building
• Conclusion

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Review of ICT development

• Less then 1 of the population utilizing computer
• Currently the educational infrastructure in Lao
  PDR is inadequate, especially with regard to
  written material in the Lao language.
• At present, the unavailability of Lao language
  software platform does not appear to be an
  inhibitor to the use of informatics in commercial
  enterprises and Government Public Service .
• There are many non-standard Lao character support
  solutions available in Lao PDR. The cause of
  non-standard solutions to Lao Script will bear
  Digital Divide to Lao PDR
• Lao PDR was one of the last South East Asian
  countries to adopt the Internet. Government
  ministries make little use of the global network
  and the business sector has equally been slow to
  implement Internet related applications
• The means, in terms of funding and technical
  expertise, however, is lacking.

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ICT Infrastructure development

• 4 Telecommunication operators ETL, Laotel, LAT,
  Milicom-Lao
• 5 provinces have a fiber Optic Network
  connectivity to Vientiane (ETL has plants to
  cover capitals of 13 provinces by the year 2004
  and 142 districts headquarters by 2005.
• At may 2003, there are 72,235 PSTN lines in
  services from 3 operators, which 1,706
  subscribers in the rural province. And there are
  only 300 public telephones, which all of them are
  located in the big city only.
• In may 2003 there are 106,951 mobile subscribers
  from4 operators, which Laotel controlling around
  three quarters of the market.
• There are about 15,000 computers in the country
  and growing at about 300 per month currently.
• Most of government ministries are running some
  form of local area network (LAN), which each of
  them designed their network specifically with
  infrastructure in mind.
• Starting to use Wireless system and Optic fiber
  in Vientiane

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Internet development
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Important Project National Internet Gateway
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Important Project National Internet Exchange
Gateway
STEA 2621 Router
ETL 2621 Router
LTC 2621 Router
Fiber optic
Fiber optic
Fiber optic
100Mbps
100Mbps
100Mbps
IX Switch Catalyst 3550
Backup Switch Catalyst 3550
2 X Backup router(2621)
100Mbps
100Mbps
100Mbps
Fiber optic
Fiber optic
Fiber optic
KPL 2621 Router
Planet 2621 Router
Lanexang 2621 Router
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Important Project Provincial Internet Gateway
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Important Project First Telecenter in rural
province

• Location Youth Center
• Hardware and Software 20 PCs and workstations.
  10for Internet access and another 10 for
  training.
• Internet access Having an Internet access
  through Provincial Internet gateway.
• Staffing and Management Steering Committee with
  representatives of STEA, IDRC, Provincial
  governors office. Management of the Telecenter
  is PADECT and will soon transferring to the local
  communities association.
• Telecentre Programming
• Creation of an information center by providing
  data collection, data entry, and data management
  through the WebPages.
• Creating 12 new electronic books in Lao, for
  distribution to schoolchildren.
• Delivering web based and CD-ROM English language.
• Training and support services for small and
  medium businesses
• Basic IT and Internet skills (free)
• Web page creation and presence on WWW (paid)
• Courses on e-commerce concepts and tools (paid)
• Coaching on formulating e-business strategies and
  e-marketing (paid service)
• Electronic support groups (free)

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Digital Opportunity Sustainable Development

• Lao PDR is in a process to transform itself into
  industrialization and modernisation, affected by
  globalisation and the rapid changes in the ICT
  sector.
• The following sectors and potential income
  generating activities, as identified by the
  Government of Laos, required to be studied for
  ICT fusion for increasing growth, productivity,
  and income generation
• - Irrigation project for increased food
  production and crop diversification
• - Development of hydroelectric power facilities
• - Forest resource management including
  reforestation programmer to sustain the
  development of high-value timber.
• - Export development of various products
• - Increase of the quality of minerals exported
• - Warehouse trade because of Laos s strategic
  proximity to large potential buyers.
• - Promotion of market exchange.
• - Development of infrastructure in both
  transportation and communications systems
• - Information dissemination on social, economic,
  climatic valuables, available technologies,
  investment opportunities overseas, etc.

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Digital Opportunity Sustainable Development

• Laos Vision on of an information society, must
  start with the interests of the people - not only
  people as consumers who require the best customer
  service- but people primarily as citizens who
  require the use of information and
  telecommunication services in order to
  participate effectively in the decision-making
  processes of society.
• Digital opportunities have emerged as a positive
  force for economic growth, poverty reduction and
  sustainable resource use. It is thus essential to
  examine ways to increase the flow of technology
  to Least Developed Countries
• For poverty reduction, sustainable management of
  natural resources, as well as for optimizing use
  of financial and human resources, it is important
  that central agencies have easy access to
  information on projects implementation progress
  and sharing information among projects and
  provinces.
• Sharing information on successful technologies
  and practices is important to offer rural
  communities suitable options for local problems.
  Also duplication of efforts can be reduced.

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Capacity Building for ICT development

• Laos faces a lot of problems in introducing ICT
  Applications in a big way, as there are shortage
  of ICT talent in the Country and need expertise
  to develop capacity building through human
  resources development programmes. Government has
  established the Information Technology Centre in
  the Science, Technology and Environment Agency
  (STEA), as the nodal agency of the Government, in
  ushering ICT applications for decision support,
  is expected to play a leading role
• IT Center consisting of 3 main sectors
• 1. Networking Sector Operate National Internet
  Gateway Operate the National Internet Exchange
  Gateway Provide Internet Access for the
  Government organizations Provide Internet Access
  for Provincial Administration Offices.
• 2. Information Technology Training Sector
  Training for Lao engineers Training trainers
  from STEA branch office and Technical training
  schools in basic IT skill development Training
  in general for IT utilization in government
  offices.
• 3. Research and Development Sector Implementing
  the project on Building the Urban-Rural Digital
  Link Open source laboratory Implementing the
  project of Lao Language Computing Development

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Capacity Building for ICT development

• To facilitate the capacity building through
  human resources development programmes, the
  Information Technology Centre will function as a
  facilitator to usher in Digital Opportunities
  and Sustainable Development, in Laos.
• The Step toward for digital opportunities and
  sustainable development
• - To enhancing the role of our IT center in order
  to be the center of excellence.
• - The urgent and greatest need in the country is
  for skilled professional and technical
  informatics experts to plan, design, install and
  maintain information facilities.
• - Researching and developing the application for
  E-government system and other computer programs
  in order to improve the effectiveness and
  efficiency of government service.
• - Strengthening the promotion of IT education by
  establishing the Master in Computer Application
  Program in Laos.
• - Bringing the ICT for agriculture and rural
  development.
• -  Establishing a provincial Internet gateway
• -  Establish the VSAT based Intranet connection
  to rural villages communities.
• -  Strengthening the Internet penetration and
  E-business opportunity.

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Conclusion Recommendation

• The international community is keen to reduce the
  Digital Divide. As a Least Developed Country
  (LDC) could benefit from multilateral, bilateral,
  NGO and private sector ICT projects.
• A policy on universal access to the Internet
  needs to be formulated.
• Internet can help with development is to overcome
  the lack of road transport in Laos. While it is
  difficult to physically get newspapers and
  schoolbooks to rural communities, these items
  could be delivered via the Internet. The
  government should create a network of public
  Internet access points so that its citizens can
  access the information they need.
• If ICT is an important tools for social economic
  development, then rural people, which occupied
  80 of total population and contributed 50.9 of
  GDP should have an access.

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Thank you