Proposal for additional data centres in the provinces

Internet Society puts forward suggestions

- SUCHIT LEESA-NGUANSUK

Expanding data centres beyond Bangkok, enhancing mobile broadband performance, and strengthening network connectivity through internet exchange points are crucial for improving Thailand's internet resilience and establishing it as a regional data centre hub.

According to the Internet Society's Pulse platform, a trusted source for third-party internet measurement data, Thailand has recorded no internet shutdowns over the past 12 months.

The estimated GDP loss of a single day's shutdown is projected at US$21 million.

The Internet Society also rates Thailand's choice of internet service providers (ISPs) as excellent, Sally Wentworth, president and chief executive of global non-profit organisation the Internet Society and Internet Society Foundation, told the Bangkok Post.

Thailand has 37 data centres and 12 active internet exchange points (IXPs).

The country has one of the greatest internet penetration rates in Southeast Asia, especially in rural areas where 85% of the population is online, she said.

According to data on the Pulse platform, Thailand is doing well, though an area for improvement is IXPs.

Thailand has 12 IXPs, which are where network operators interconnect and internet content is hosted locally. This amount exceeds the regional average of six IXPs per country.

However, only 12% of Thailand's networks connect to these IXPs. Connecting more networks to these IXPs and creating even more IXPs would increase the resilience of Thailand's internet infrastructure, according to the Internet Society.