Laos IT Policy and IT Projects
By Valaxay DalaloyDeputy General Director, IT Deptartment.
Ministry of Posts and TelecommunicationsLao PDR
IT Utilization to Strengthen Economic and Social Infrastructure
13 Oct. 2015, Tokyo, Japan
Outline
• Laos ICT fact
• Policy and initiatives
• Cloud computing development
• Internet of Things development
I. Laos ICT facts• Telecom penetration: 80%
– Fix line penetration: 13%– Mobile penetration: 67%
• Internet penetration: 25%– Population of households with Internet: 6%– Mobile internet user (SIM-Net registration) : 19%
• PC penetration: 30%– Population of households with computer: 12%
IDI values compared with the global, regional and developing/developed-country averages, Asia and the pacific, 2012
Index Value
2011 2012 2013
Global ranking
2011 2012 2013
IDI 1.84 1.99 2.10 120th 122nd 123rd
Access sub-index 2.18 2.36 2.53 124th 122nd 121st
Use sub-index 0.26 0.36 0.46 129th 129th 129th
Skills sub-index 4.35 4.50 4.50 121st 121st 121st
Infrastructure• Network infrastructure
– OFC: 61,373 Km – 2G: 7,000 BTS /10,000 BTS– 3G: 2,400 BTS /15,000 BTS – International Bandwidth: 2.5 Gbps
• Barrier– 2/3 of country areas is mountain – Low population density in rural areas
Affordability• High price:
– International bandwidth: 100 USD/Mbps– Fix line Internet= 30 USD/Mb/Month– Mobile Internet: 0.04USD per 1 MB. – 0.10 USD/minute for prepaid– 0.04 USD/minute of post paid. – 30% tax on ICT equipment
• People expense– 27% of average households income– Low people purchase power (11% of
total householders)
Consumer barrier• Literacy: 73%• ICT literacy: 20%• English literacy: 30%
Local content• Website:
– Website in Lao language: 1,000 – Only 20% of government office have website– 30 e-Content provider (newspaper and magazine)
• Barrier:– Lack of Lao language support in most of ICT system – Lack of content creator
National ICT PolicyThe Government of Lao PDR has identified 9areas requiring long term consideration:• Infrastructure and Access;• Enterprise and Industry;• Research and Development;• Applications;• Human Resource Development;• Legal Framework; Awareness;• Poverty Alleviation• Standardization and Localization
II. Policy
II. Policy
“To ensure that broadband services are accessible nationwide”
•Telecommunication development fund (Chapter VII of Telecommunication law 2011)
•Ministry requested operator to provide the network connection to some rural villages as obligation.
•Satellite Project (Started in 2012 and expected to send the satellite into the 128.5 E in November 2015)
•Consolidate the passive infrastructure (such as sharing tower)
II. Policy
• National Internet gateway project (2008)
• National Telecommunication transmission Network project (2011)
“To ensure the backbone is accessible and cost-effect”
II. Policy
“To ensure that broadband services are affordable to everyone”
•Restructure the spectrum fees: Such as capacity band and coverage band.
•Tax incentive for operator and user in rural areas, which are now under consideration of the custom and tax department.
•Will introduce an obligation on relevant licensees to offer a defined entry-level broadband product at a specified retail price that is widely affordable while still being profitable
II. Policy
• E-Education project has established Computer Lab in 50 schools and provided free Internet access to more than 500 schools:
• Lao localization project• Rural community Telecenter
project:• IDRC: 1 Center• ADB: 5 Center• India: 10: Center• Japan: 2 Center• MPT : 2 Center
“To ensure that everyone has some ICT knowledge”
II. Policy
“To ensure that broadband services are useful and widely used”
• E-Government project in 2007
• E-Health project in 2009
• E-Agriculture project in 2011
• E-commerce project in 2013
• E-Revenue project in 2014
Law and Regulation
• Basic Law Available:– Telecommunication Law– Broadcasting Law– Cyber Security Law
• On going and Planning:– IT Law– Modifies National ICT Policy – National ICT Standard
II. Policy
III. Cloud computing development
• Internet Center
• E-Government Center
III. Application on cloud
III. Challenges on cloud computing
• Sharing and ownership concept
• Standardization and Integration
• Privacy and data protection
• Security
IV. Internet of Things development
• Industrial internet:– Dam and hydro power monitoring system
• Connect cities– Vientiane CCTV system
• Connected Homes– Household Electricity meter system in Vientiane
• Connected cars– None
• Wearables– None
IV. Challenges on IoT development
• Infrastructure– Low Internet bandwidth only 2.5 G– Lack of internet integration among
infrastructure provider– No IPV6 migration and deployment
• Application– Lack of concept – No local developers
Thank you
