KUALA LUMPUR: mTouche Technology Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary, mTouche (Thailand) Co Ltd, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GIS Park (Thailand) Co Ltd.
In a statement, mTouche said the MoU is to jointly develop, build, install and operate the SMART4 Public Phone and Wi-Fi Hub Terminal Thailand for state-own telecommunications company, TOT Public Co Ltd.
mTouche executive director Tang Boon Koon said the SMART4 Public Phone and Wi-Fi Hub Terminal with 10,000 terminals is expected to eventually generate over THB$20 billion (RM2.6 billion) in revenue.
“This will be through advertising partnerships and sponsorships for both the physical and digital advertising over the eight-year contract which has been signed between GIS and TOT.
“Through the close collaboration between these two companies, mTouche endeavours it will have a positive impact on the future earnings of the group,” he said.
Tang said the SMART4 Public Phone and Wi-Fi Hub Terminal will be the first makeover of a traditional public phone booth into a smart public phone that will embrace the latest technology within the Southeast Asian and/or Asian region.
Upon the successful implementation of the SMART4 Public Phone and Wi-Fi Hub Terminal in Thailand, a similar concept will be introduced to other Southeast Asia countries that mTouche has physical presence in, which includes Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia and Hong Kong.
Under the project, TOT will be turning most of its nationwide 180,000 old public phone booths into the SMART4 Public Phone and Wi-Fi Hub Terminal with priority given to an estimated 18,000 old booths located in five major areas within Bangkok and five provinces in the northern part of Thailand.
This infrastructure project is to create a network covering several cities to provide free Wi-Fi services, which are part of the Thailand 4.0 initiatives.
Under this initiative, the Thailand government is to roll out the national broadband network across 40,432 villages to enhance the country’s digital infrastructure, narrow the digital divide, reduce internet access cost, and promote e-government and e-commerce initiatives.