News Feed
NBTC WARNS AGAINST ADVERTISING ON ILLEGAL OTT PLATFORMS
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission yesterday warned advertising agencies that they risk facing legal action if they advertise on over-the-top (OTT) platforms that have not registered by deadlines set by the NBTC.
Natee Sukonrat, chairman of a subcommittee in charge of the NBTC’s new OTT regulations, said the commission would apply broadcasting law and the criminal code against illegal OTT operators and those supporting their operations.
OTT is the delivery of content such as films and TV programmes to viewers via the Internet, either free or for a charge.
The NBTC invited leading OTT content providers and OTT network platform operators on June 22 to declare themselves as OTT players in an attempt to regulate the OTT sector. The two groups were given different deadlines for the purpose.
OTT network platforms such as Google and YouTube were given a deadline of July 22 to declare their status.
ALIBABA TO INCREASE ITS STAKE IN LAZADA
Alibaba Group Holding announced yesterday that it would invest about US$1 billion (Bt35 billion) to increase its stake in Lazada Group, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, from 51 per cent to around 83 per cent.
Alibaba will purchase the shares of certain Lazada shareholders at an implied valuation of $3.15 billion for the company, reflecting a significant increase in the value of Lazada since Alibaba first acquired its majority stake in April 2016.
The transaction will increase Alibaba’s total investment in Lazada to more than $2 billion. Lazada will continue to operate under the same brand after this transaction. – BSW
WORK ON LAO-THAI RAIL EXTENSION TO RESUME
Construction of the Laos-Thailand railway extension linking an existing outer suburban station to central Vientiane is expected to begin at year’s end or early next year after the project was suspended in 2011.
Sonesack Nhansana, deputy director-general of the Railway Department under the Laotian Ministry of Public Works and Transport, said authorities were working towards organising a bidding process to seek a consultant firm and contractor to carry out construction. – Vientiane Times
