The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have initiated a joint program to help Mekong countries establish a fiber optic network to make regional telecommunications services cheaper, Lao newspaper Vientiane Times reported Friday.
Deputy Director General of the Post and Telecommunication Department under the Lao Ministry of Communication, Transportation, Post and Construction, Snith Xaphakdy, said representatives of ITU and ADB announced the joint aid program for Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand at the 14th Sub-Regional Telecommunications Meeting, which ended on Thursday in Laos.
He said that the international organizations had not yet agreed on how much funding they would contribute to aiding Mekong countries to link their fiber optic networks, and that they had only agreed to be coordinators for the six nations to discuss establishing a regional network.
"They want to know whether we will agree to the idea of linking regional fiber optics. If we agree with the initiative, the ITU and ADB will open talks about funding the project," he said.
He said ADB would be happy to provide Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam with low-interest loans for the project, but there would need to be more detailed discussions.
He said most of the countries, including Laos were enthusiastic about the proposal, but more information was needed before firm decisions could be made. The Lao government agreed with the proposal in principle because it would make telecommunication services cheaper.
Laos currently has fiber optic links with China, Vietnam and Thailand, and is now looking to link up with Cambodia and Myanmar.
He explained that as each country already had a fiber optic system in place, it would simply be a matter of extending the system across the border.
Source: Xinhua
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