Regional Workshop on Knowledge-hubs in Asia-Pacific Region
           Nanjing, China, 8-10 September 2009




  Telecenter Development in Laos

             Mr. Phonpasit PHISSAMAY
                   Director General
      Information technology Research Institute
    National Authority for Science and Technology
Outline
•   Laos facts (ICT)
•   Telecenter initiatives
•   E-Government Project
•   Conclusion
Laos Fact
•   Total population                             5.62 Million
•   Rural population                             69 %
•   GDP per capita                               USD 850
•   Literacy rate                                85%
•   Tele-density                                 28 %
•   Telephone lines per 100 inhabitants          2.59
•   Cell phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants   25.4
•   Computers per 100 inhabitants                1.7
•   Internet users per 100 inhabitants           2.3
•   Internet hosts per 10,000 inhabitants        0.022
•   Internet cafes per 10,000 inhabitants        0.71
First Telecenter Project in Laos
•   Name: E-Way
•   Location: Luang Prabang Province (UNESCO Heritage City)
•   Funded by: International Development Research Center (250,000 $)
•   Implemented by: National Authority for Science and Technology
•   Objective:
     – Internet access for the Local communities people
     – Computer and English training center
     – Content creation and distribution for the Local communities
•   Service Operation:
     – 2003-2005: Participate Development Training Center (Local NGO)
     – 2006: Science and Technology Provincial office Luang Prabang
     – 2007: Stop operation and give the equipment to school.
Barriers of e-Way
•   High cost of Internet connection (400$ per month)
•   Ownership
•   High salary for the Telecenter manager and staffs
•   Low participation from the local communities people
•   Low income generation

    we could not make the e-way sustainable operation,
    but we very glad to see the ICT growth in the province:
      More private Internet café
      More computer training schools
      More local people using Internet for communication
Rural Telecenters Project
•   Funded by: Government of India (500,000 USD)
•   Location:
     – 7 centers in 7 provinces along Mekong river (3 local administration, 2 schools
       and 2 Public-private)
     – 3 centers in Vientiane Capital (ministry of public health, agriculture and rural
       development authority: (www.telecentter.gov.la and www.talath.gov.la )
•   Objective:
     – Information provider (floating, agriculture, healthcare, community project and etc)
     – Support the distribution of local products
•   Service operation:
     – 2006: installation and training for the Center operator
     – 2007: Self operation by the Telecenter operator with the project subsidized for
       the Internet connection until December 2008. The status in 2009
         • Public-Private Telecenter still continue the operation
         • Local administration reserved for Internal use only
         • School has converted to training room and disconnected from Internet
Barriers of Rural Telecenter
• Still high cost of Internet connection (400$ per month)
• No income for the local administration and school
  Telecenters, while public-private make great income
  from tourism business.
• Content are poor and not regular update by the content
  provider in Vientiane.
• Telecenter is lack of its own program to make the
  equipments more useful.
e-Health Center Project
•   Funded by: Asia Development Bank (500,000 USD)

•   Location: 8 Hospital and 8 Healthcare centers in two provinces

•   Objective:
     – Healthcare Information provider (www.health-Center.gov.la)
     – Create the Database for hospital and healthcare center


•   Service operation: Project just started in 2009 and schedule to
    completed by 2011.
National E-Government Project
• Establish the e-Gov service center (1+16)
• Establish the e-Gov infrastructure
• Computerization government offices
  (130+160+250)
• Development e-Service application (7)
• Human Resource Development
  (40+300+900+3000)

     (35 millions, 2007-2009)
National E-Government Infrastructure

                                     WIMAX
                                     WIMAX
        Data Center
        Data Center                                                                          OFC
                                                                                             OFC
        Application
        Application
          Servers
          Servers
                      Core Routers
                      Core Routers                                                                   FE
                                                                                                     FE
                       7750 SR7
                        7750 SR7                  Vientiane                      Fiber
                                                                                 Fiber
                                                                                           Layer 2 Switch
                                                                                           Layer 2 Switch

              7250 T5C
              7250 T5C
                                                                 LAT National            16 Governor offices
                                     STM1
                                     STM1
                   N GE
                    N GE                                          Backbone               16 E-gov provincial
                                                                                            E-gov
       Edge Routers
                                                                                           service centers
       Edge Routers
                           Vientiane
                           Vientiane
                         transmission
                         transmission
                           2.5G SDH
                           2.5G SDH          Edge Routers
                                             Edge Routers
  WIMAX
  WIMAX                                                                         MW
                                                                                MW
           STM 1
           STM 1
                                                                                               WIMAXv
                                                                                               WIMAXv
                                      STM1
                                      STM1        WIMAX
                                                  WIMAX



                                                                                         25 district and 160
                                                                                         provincial divisions
• 2.5 Gbps backbone between NAST-MOD
                            NAST-
                            NAST-MOD
•155 Mbps OFC connecting to 51 ministries offices in Vientiane
•155
•2 Mbps ADSL connecting to 28 ministries office in Vientiane
•2



                                                                                     WIMAX
                                                                                     WIMAX       Dial-Up/ISDN
                                                                                                 Dial-
                                                                                                 Dial-Up/ISDN
                                                                                    200 Village Offices
                                                                                100 VIP houses in Vientiane
E-Gov application
•   National e-Gov Portal (www.laos.la)
•   E-Archive
•   E-Document
•   E-Registration
•   E-Map
•   E-Learning
•   Teleconference
Conclusion
•   In country such as Laos, with so many pressing basic development
    needs, it is not surprising that attempts at establish Internet
    connectivity and E-business have been hampered by a general lack
    of skills and resource, Low levels of PC penetration, combined with
    poor telecommunication network with also slow the process.

•   There is currently a high level of interest in ICT development in the
    country. ICT implementations and strategies, and the allocation of
    resources, from the government, donors, and the private sectors,
    towards ICT development are reflected in existing ICT related
    projects focusing on human resources development, governance,
    administration, and information management.

Status of ICT development in Lao PDR

  • 1.
    Regional Workshop onKnowledge-hubs in Asia-Pacific Region Nanjing, China, 8-10 September 2009 Telecenter Development in Laos Mr. Phonpasit PHISSAMAY Director General Information technology Research Institute National Authority for Science and Technology
  • 2.
    Outline • Laos facts (ICT) • Telecenter initiatives • E-Government Project • Conclusion
  • 3.
    Laos Fact • Total population 5.62 Million • Rural population 69 % • GDP per capita USD 850 • Literacy rate 85% • Tele-density 28 % • Telephone lines per 100 inhabitants 2.59 • Cell phone subscribers per 100 inhabitants 25.4 • Computers per 100 inhabitants 1.7 • Internet users per 100 inhabitants 2.3 • Internet hosts per 10,000 inhabitants 0.022 • Internet cafes per 10,000 inhabitants 0.71
  • 4.
    First Telecenter Projectin Laos • Name: E-Way • Location: Luang Prabang Province (UNESCO Heritage City) • Funded by: International Development Research Center (250,000 $) • Implemented by: National Authority for Science and Technology • Objective: – Internet access for the Local communities people – Computer and English training center – Content creation and distribution for the Local communities • Service Operation: – 2003-2005: Participate Development Training Center (Local NGO) – 2006: Science and Technology Provincial office Luang Prabang – 2007: Stop operation and give the equipment to school.
  • 5.
    Barriers of e-Way • High cost of Internet connection (400$ per month) • Ownership • High salary for the Telecenter manager and staffs • Low participation from the local communities people • Low income generation we could not make the e-way sustainable operation, but we very glad to see the ICT growth in the province: More private Internet café More computer training schools More local people using Internet for communication
  • 6.
    Rural Telecenters Project • Funded by: Government of India (500,000 USD) • Location: – 7 centers in 7 provinces along Mekong river (3 local administration, 2 schools and 2 Public-private) – 3 centers in Vientiane Capital (ministry of public health, agriculture and rural development authority: (www.telecentter.gov.la and www.talath.gov.la ) • Objective: – Information provider (floating, agriculture, healthcare, community project and etc) – Support the distribution of local products • Service operation: – 2006: installation and training for the Center operator – 2007: Self operation by the Telecenter operator with the project subsidized for the Internet connection until December 2008. The status in 2009 • Public-Private Telecenter still continue the operation • Local administration reserved for Internal use only • School has converted to training room and disconnected from Internet
  • 7.
    Barriers of RuralTelecenter • Still high cost of Internet connection (400$ per month) • No income for the local administration and school Telecenters, while public-private make great income from tourism business. • Content are poor and not regular update by the content provider in Vientiane. • Telecenter is lack of its own program to make the equipments more useful.
  • 8.
    e-Health Center Project • Funded by: Asia Development Bank (500,000 USD) • Location: 8 Hospital and 8 Healthcare centers in two provinces • Objective: – Healthcare Information provider (www.health-Center.gov.la) – Create the Database for hospital and healthcare center • Service operation: Project just started in 2009 and schedule to completed by 2011.
  • 9.
    National E-Government Project •Establish the e-Gov service center (1+16) • Establish the e-Gov infrastructure • Computerization government offices (130+160+250) • Development e-Service application (7) • Human Resource Development (40+300+900+3000) (35 millions, 2007-2009)
  • 10.
    National E-Government Infrastructure WIMAX WIMAX Data Center Data Center OFC OFC Application Application Servers Servers Core Routers Core Routers FE FE 7750 SR7 7750 SR7 Vientiane Fiber Fiber Layer 2 Switch Layer 2 Switch 7250 T5C 7250 T5C LAT National 16 Governor offices STM1 STM1 N GE N GE Backbone 16 E-gov provincial E-gov Edge Routers service centers Edge Routers Vientiane Vientiane transmission transmission 2.5G SDH 2.5G SDH Edge Routers Edge Routers WIMAX WIMAX MW MW STM 1 STM 1 WIMAXv WIMAXv STM1 STM1 WIMAX WIMAX 25 district and 160 provincial divisions • 2.5 Gbps backbone between NAST-MOD NAST- NAST-MOD •155 Mbps OFC connecting to 51 ministries offices in Vientiane •155 •2 Mbps ADSL connecting to 28 ministries office in Vientiane •2 WIMAX WIMAX Dial-Up/ISDN Dial- Dial-Up/ISDN 200 Village Offices 100 VIP houses in Vientiane
  • 11.
    E-Gov application • National e-Gov Portal (www.laos.la) • E-Archive • E-Document • E-Registration • E-Map • E-Learning • Teleconference
  • 12.
    Conclusion • In country such as Laos, with so many pressing basic development needs, it is not surprising that attempts at establish Internet connectivity and E-business have been hampered by a general lack of skills and resource, Low levels of PC penetration, combined with poor telecommunication network with also slow the process. • There is currently a high level of interest in ICT development in the country. ICT implementations and strategies, and the allocation of resources, from the government, donors, and the private sectors, towards ICT development are reflected in existing ICT related projects focusing on human resources development, governance, administration, and information management.