The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) hired Frost & Sullivan to study the expected benefits from the event.
The four-day convention is being held at IMPACT Arena, Exhibition & Convention Centre in a collaboration of the NBTC, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and the Inter-nationalz Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The event, which comprises seminars and exhibitions, is a global platform to accelerate innovations in information and communications technology |for social and economic development of businesses of all sizes |as well as government agencies.
About 25,000 attendees are expected, of whom about 40 per cent will be foreigners from all around the world and 60 per cent Thais and expatriates.
Frost & Sullivan also anticipates Bt22.3 million in tax revenue from the event, which will also employ 1,529 people.
The NBTC spent Bt300 million to prepare the event.
In a separate development, the NBTC yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority to promote collaboration in several areas, including information exchange on regulations for managing telecom and broadcasting spectra.
The commission also signed a memorandum of cooperation with Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to promote collaboration on telecom affairs and cybersecurity and telecom and broadcast infrastructure protection, content business matching, and innovative technology.
Thailand hosted the ITU World event for the first time in 2013 and also ITU Asia 2008. Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong, deputy prime minister and acting minister of digital economy and society, said Thailand’s ranking on the ITU’s global ICT index was expected to be better next year. In 2015, Thailand was ranked 74th, up 18 levels from 92nd in 2010.
He said one contribution to higher ranking would be the |government’s upcoming national broadband Internet project, aiming to provide complete broadband connectivity to 40,000 villages nationwide by |the end of next year.