ICT Developments in Lao PDR Mr. Snith XAPHAKDY Director Telecom Division Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction. Lao P.D.R

Telecommunication Infrastructure Previously only 1 % of Laotian households having a telephone, Now it is 1.35% or 80,000 of fixed line service

Telecommunication Infrastructure In rural areas, penetration 58 districts from a total of 142 districts. As of September 2001, there were 29,545 mobile subscribers and mobile density was 0.25%, As of December 2003 there are135,800 subscribers or 2.5% density

Telecommunication Infrastructure Fiber Optic backbone cabling technology involved is STM-16 (SDH technology with speed 2.5 Gbps

The Internet barriers facing the Internet users price and quality of access. 6 Internet service providers ADSL service has just started in the Vientiane capital and is still costly. Most still use modem dialup and lease line with 64K bandwidth

The Internet barriers facing the Internet users price and quality of access. 6 Internet service providers ADSL service has just started in the Vientiane capital and is still costly. Most still use modem dialup and lease line with 64K bandwidth

Promotion and Industry software development are there driven by small group of people mini-software park with high-tech infrastructure was proposed by the ICT policy drafting improve telecom infrastructure hardware industry

E-Government IT projects regarding the government 1. Intranet for the government 2. Computerization of Tax and Customs Department 3. Legal/Law information system 4. Information management system for the government public administration reform program.

Banking Universal banking service initiative. At the moment there are just 2 ATMs in Laos with limited Point of sale (POS)

ICT Policy Development 1. Infrastructure and Industry 2. ICT Application 3. Standardization 4. Human Resources Development 5. Legal Framework

WTO and Globalization Regulatory Framework So far, there was a lack of legal regulations governing electronic signatures, validity of electronic documents, or definitions of computer crimes.

WTO and Globalization Regulatory Framework lacking in funding, the government was dependent on bilateral and multilateral assistance grants must be banking and legal reforms, together with capacity building and government promotion to ensure the success of e- business in Lao PDR.

Content Major government website includes: (Ministry of Commerce) (Ministry of Information and Culture) (Science Technology and Environment Agency) (Lao Embassy to USA) (Central Bank) (Foreign Investment Committee)

Public Private Partnerships With wireless technology available (802.11a,b,g), growth in this area is increasing rapidly, especially, hotels, guesthouses and other tourist destinations

Public Private Partnerships The government will always lead the initiative promoting e-Government for the various ministries ICT human resource the partnership between the Public and Private sectors are crucial if not decisive