Under this strategic partnership, AIS 5G network will be rolled out to the EEC, for smart industrial estates to bring in international investors and spur Thai economic recovery

13 July 2020 – AIS, the number one 5G network provider with the most spectra, has announced a new joint venture with Saha Pathana Inter-Holding PCL (SPI), a company in the Saha Group, a major player in the industrial property development market. The two partners signed an agreement to establish Saha Advanced Network Company Limited, or SAN, as the next step in their strategic partnership. They will harness the strength of AIS’s 5G network infrastructure to beef up enterprises in industrial estates in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and raise them to the Smart Industrial level. This partnership affirms AIS’s determination to exploit 5G to revive the Thai economy and bring Thailand’s industrial sector up to international standards.

Somchai Lertsutiwong, CEO of AIS, said, “5G technology is the new major digital artery of the country to help players in every sector switch from ‘fall’ to ‘fight’ and grow back better and stronger. AIS has recently prioritized expansion of our 5G network to cover all 77 provinces around the country. We have tested the system in joint trials with partners in different sectors such as transportation, tourism, retail, security systems, Smart City, and even public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing every sector see the real potential of 5G that can be put to use in so many ways.”

Today, AIS has taken another major step by building on its strategic partnership with Saha Pathana Inter-Holding (SPI), to set up Saha Advanced Network (SAN) to provide a fiber optic network service and ICT infrastructure within 4 of SPI’s industrial estates in Sri Racha, Chonburi; Kabinburi, Prachinburi; Mueang District, Lamphun; and Mae Sod, Tak. Together these estates comprise 1,161 hectares and over 112 factories. The partners will bring ICT infrastructure and 5G technology, including both 5G Stand Alone, with high speed and low latency, and 5G Network Splicing, for which AIS is the first and the sole provider in Thailand, to design compatible and flexible network systems that can meet the specific needs of each kind of industry and each industrial estate in each geographic area in the most agile and efficient way. It will help increase the productivity and competitiveness of factories in the EEC, which is now the model for the concrete implementation of 5G tech in the industrial sector.

Vichai Kulsomphob, President and Executive Director at Saha Pathana Inter-Holding Public Company Limited, said, “At Saha Pathana Inter-Holding we are determined to develop our industrial estates to world-class standards. We are bringing in new technology and innovations to improve our management and to add finesse to the development of our industrial estates. We want to meet our clients’ every needs so they can evolve into truly smart manufacturing plant making the Thailand 4.0 future. I’m delighted to join AIS to deliver fiber optic network service to SPI’s industrial estates. It provides the digital infrastructure to build up a diverse range of services, from high-speed communications to high-speed Internet services for corporations. It provides the backbone for 5G services to grow, and this will facilitate growth for our industrial clients in the future.”

“Because SPI has been a leader in the consumer products market for a long time and has remarkable strength in the industrial property development sector, I’m confident that when we combine our strengths with those of AIS, a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider recognized for its efficient nationwide coverage, we can help enterprises located in industrial estates in the EEC manufacture goods and run their businesses more efficiently. This joint venture will help boost the competitiveness of our industrial estates and attract more investors from all over the world to come and set up production bases in the EEC. This will help the Thai economy recover and come back stronger. It will raise the quality of life for Thai people in a sustainable way,” concluded Vichai concluded.

Saha Advanced Network Company (SAN) was established with 300,000 registered shares or registered capital of 30,000,000 baht. Advanced Broadband Network Company Limited (ABN) holds 70% or 21 million baht and Saha Pathana Inter-Holding Company Limited (SPI) holds 30% or 9 million baht.

Published 13 July 2020