Overseas calls, Internet costs to be slashed?

PHUKET TOWN: The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) wants to drastically reduce the cost of overseas calls and high-speed Internet connections in Phuket, ICT Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said yesterday. Acknowledging complaints by IT-related companies in Phuket that connection costs are too high, Dr Surapong said that he would talk with the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) and other related organizations about slashing their costs. “It is the government’s policy to turn Phuket into an ICT hub in Asia, so the island may be chosen as the pilot province to get discounts,” he explained. Speaking after opening of the new Eclipse Asia home automation components factory, the minister said he wants to see the price of overseas calls fall by as much as 50% and added, “I expect to see the cost of high-speed Internet connections reduced to no more than 1,000 baht a month.” Dr Surapong said he was aiming to have the cuts made by the end of the year “as a New Year gift”, and that he believed this would encourage many more IT companies to invest in Phuket. “We are also considering proposals that Phuket’s provincial government and private sector have put forward,” the minister said, adding that proposals that find favor with the ICT Ministry will be recommended to the Cabinet for approval and government funding.