Cost of Thai mobile phones fourth cheapest in Asean region
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THAILAND'S mobile-phone |services were the fourth cheapest in the Asean region last year, according to the Fiscal Policy Research Institute.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Comm-|ission had engaged the institute to conduct a telecommunications consumption survey to help it regulate tariffs and formulate policies in the future.
According to the results, cellular costs in Thailand are 1.12 per cent of gross national income, while fixed broadband costs are 4.67 per cent, which ranks fifth in Asean, and fixed-lined costs are 1.28 per cent, ranking sixth.
Singapore was the most expensive , while Brunei came in at second place and Malaysia third in all three categories.
The survey is based on the ICT tariff rates from “Measuring |the Information Society Report 2014” of the International Telecommunication Union.
The institute said the index was calculated from purchasing power, the inflation rate and GNI of the Asean countries.
The Asean price index for 2014 is lower than for 2013 in all three services, which reflects the success of telecom regulators in each of the countries.
In 2013, the price index of mobile phones in Thailand was 1.2 per cent of gross national income, fixed broadband 5.02 per cent and fixed line 1.38 per cent.
The institute also conducted a consumer behaviour survey on 4,719 people nationwide for telecom services in Thailand in 2014.
People aged 15-19 were the most active Internet users.
The most favourite Internet services were social media, search and chatting.
However, more than 60 per cent of the respondents had no experience with online payment and transaction services.
