Asia ICT

Proposed regulatory reforms are set to give a boost to Brunei Darussalam’s information and communications technology sector, an area of the economy that the government has targeted for growth.

A drive to bring Malaysia’s internet services up to speed is gathering pace, with ICT infrastructure earmarked for an investment boost next year and longer-term solutions, which could include a fibre optic network roll-out, under discussion.

In September the Myanmar ICT sector will welcome two new foreign telecoms companies vying for their slice of consumers. The move is expected to create demand for a number of ICT services companies, drawing upon the efforts of web designers, network professionals and programmers. However, as with all sectors in Myanmar, education and human resources are a major bottleneck and local talent is hard to find.

Rural areas of Brunei Darussalam, which have long faced problems with information and communications technology (ICT) services, are set to benefit from a move to align the Sultanate’s bandwidth with that of its regional neighbours.

The announcement of the winners of Myanmar’s recent telecoms auction marks a further milestone in the country’s modernisation and integration into the global economy. The licensing process had attracted significant attention from some of the industry’s biggest players, as the market is largely untapped.

Despite advances over the past year, the slow pace of information and communications technology (ICT) development in Thailand could put the economy at a disadvantage against rival ASEAN neighbours, a series of reports have warned.