Thailand was one of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) prize winners during the WSIS Forum in Geneva this year. Thailand won the WSIS prize in the category of “information and communication infrastructure” for its Village Broadband Internet project (Net Pracharat). Net Pracharat is a national fixed broadband network providing free public Wi-Fi hotspots to connect remote/non-commercialize areas.

The Village Broadband Internet Project (Net Pracharat) aims to strengthen the national broadband network and provide affordable high-speed Internet access to all villages in Thailand by 2019. The government is investing in building high-speed Internet networks, using fiber optic cables, in remote villages that lack such services. This will enable local residents to have access to useful information and services on many topics, such as education, public health and government services.

IEEE SS12: Age of Innovation 2018 is an international project competition and a maker fair to recognize the best social innovation. Working with UN, this competition would be an ideal platform for promoting regional connectivity and addressing some of the most pressing global challenges.