Altai, Thai realty tycoon in Wi-Fi tie-up

“We apologise for not telling you the name of our new partner. At this stage, we can say that he is a Thai tycoon who runs a property development business and is keen on rolling out Wi-Fi connectivity through his property projects and in rural areas,” Raymond Leung, chairman and chief executive officer at the world’s No-1 outdoor Wi-Fi technology provider, told The Nation on Tuesday. 
He plans to meet the real-estate magnate in January or February before signing a cornerstone agreement for the partnership, he said. 
Under the agreement, the national deployment of Wi-Fi connectivity is expected to cost about $10 million, with work scheduled to commence by the end of next year, he added. 
With the explosive growth of wireless Internet usage across the globe, not least in Thailand, Altai acknowledges that the telecom sector also requires Wi-Fi service as a gap filler in areas unreached by their network, while some telco firms are using Wi-Fi as complementary to their core service, Leung said. 
Interestingly, he suggested that not only telecommunication firms and related businesses, but other companies involved in social media, consumer goods, foods and beverages, content production and advertising were also keen on exploring new opportunity from this kind of wireless connectivity.
“Compared to costs incurred in telecommunication business, Wi-Fi technology seems to offer a lower-cost solution because the application of this technology does not require spectrum licences like in the telecom sector,” he explained.
With its own smart-antenna technology in line with a cloud-based management system, Altai claims that a single outdoor Super Wi-Fi unit is able to cover 1.7 kilometres from a base station. 
Asked why his company wanted to install a network in the Thai market, the CEO said he had witnessed an opportunity not only in the key cities of the Kingdom, but also in rural areas where farmers need wireless connectivity as a result of the affordability of smart phones. 
Moreover, the government is also putting an effort into building a national e-payment system, in line with full participation from local bankers, he added. 
“We also wanted to create our Wi-Fi network as a platform which enables many mobile applications and means new business opportunities. Thailand is also a very good market to test this strategy, before rolling out in other countries where we have a strong presence,” Leung said. Founded in 2006, the company has deployed its Wi-Fi solutions in more than 100 countries. 
Altai has worked with a few clients in Thailand, mainly in the telecommunications sector.