Telenor recommits to DTAC for its Internet vision

This forms part of Norway-based Telenor’s vision to empower societies to provide the power of digital communication by delivering “Internet for All”, enabling everyone to improve their lives, build societies and secure a better future for all, said Karianne Melleby, vice president and head of Telenor Digital, Global Partnership.

“Telenor’s vision is well aligned with several of our global partners. Sharing a vision with our partners gives us extra support and motivation that we can bridge the digital divide and bring populations online. Examples of own services include Capture and Appear.in.

“Examples of third-party services include: Opera mini, a variety of Facebook projects, Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube, Deezer and Line. In addition, we will always be scouting for new opportunities, with special interest in apps and services developed in the region,” she said.

In Thailand, for example, Telenor will also continue its cooperation with DTAC around its services, such as the Capture storage service, which was launched in the first quarter of this year.

Most recently, DTAC launched a new product for video lovers, called YouTube + Line, serving customers with relevant services at affordable and predictable data charges. 

Melleby added that DTAC had also been able to build an impressive number of local partnerships in the category of value-added services and content provider access.

Examples of local partners include Mono Group, The Nation, RS, ThaiRath and GMM Grammy, to mention just a few. 

The executive described Telenor Digital as a community dedicated to shaping the next generation of digital services and providing innovative solutions to the masses.

What these solutions and services will be in the future depends greatly on how needs in the markets develop to digital services, she said. 

“We know that future development includes storage services and new communication services. The video-conferencing service Appear.in was recently launched as an Android app and is already available in Thailand, and there will be more communication services to come,” said Melleby.

She also named a few of the recently launched Telenor Digital projects in Asia that can give an indication of possible solutions, including mHealth, mEducation and mAgri.

“We are also looking into mAgri in Thailand. Our local team at DTAC visited the commercial-farmer community in Nakhon Pathom this summer to offer lessons in using the Internet and to research how to better connect farmers,” she added.

Moreover, she said that the increased focus on the potential of the digital economy was a positive development, and that Telenor Digital would continue to support the government’s efforts in this area.

Telenor has also established a strong focus on adjacent services, such as mobile financial services, the Internet of Things and online classifieds.

“We have an ambition that 50 per cent of our customers will use their mobile phones for financial services in 2020. An example of mobile financial services in Thailand is Paysbuy, a leading payment gateway in the Thai market and a DTAC subsidiary company that provides online payment processing with a variety of payment channels, including credit cards, bank direct debits, cash at counters [Tesco Lotus] and e-wallet,” said Melleby.

Telenor Connexion, meanwhile, is Telenor’s main vehicle for the Internet of Things (IoT). The company continues to deliver strong results, increasing revenue by 45 per cent from the 2013-2014 level.

This business is expected to continue to deliver strong growth, both through a widening footprint and through exploring new opportunities within the IoT area, said the executive. 

Meanwhile, online classifieds is also an important business opportunity for Telenor, she said, adding that the business is growing steadily and becoming a foundation for possible future positions in the consumer Internet space. 

“Today, the Internet is where most transactions are taking place, and the Internet is mobile. It’s our ambition to provide ‘Internet for All’, empowering people through services such as online classifieds. The reach and local presence of online classified sites is also an ideal test bed for new services,” said Melleby.