Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) Continues to Grow Strongly in Major Metropolitan Areas
Thailand sees boost in fibre broadband sector
In the early stages of Thai’s broadband market development, there was widespread adoption of DSL services, together with a significantly lesser deployment of cable broadband, as well as some broadband wireless access. The transition to these other technology platforms had previously been inhibited by the Thai regulatory environment, which saw ISPs unwilling to invest in the necessary infrastructure.
Although fixed broadband penetration remains low compared to other developed Asian markets, the rate increased from 7% in 2012 to above 19% by the end of 2021. The regulator noted that the number of subscribers increased 14.3% in 2021, year-on-year, as subscribers continued to adapt to the particular requirements for broadband services during the pandemic. Sustained, though slower, growth is anticipated during the next few years as the major providers continue to rollout their fibre networks.
In recent years, fibre broadband has seen strong growth, particularly in major metropolitan areas. The sector’s major players are increasingly investing in their last-mile fibre deployments. Although the returns from this are still a long-term proposition, fibre’s cannibalisation of copper-based connections is a well-established trend in the market. This became particularly marked in 2021, when many copper-based connections were migrated to the fibre platform.
A fibre-based Metro Ethernet service offering data at up to 10Gb/s for corporate customers was introduced by True Online in 2011, focussed on corporate buildings in Bangkok. In late 2014 the company began investing THB43 billion to overhaul existing fixed and mobile platforms. Some THB33 billion was earmarked to expand its fibre broadband access network to reach around four million premises in Bangkok and other provinces.
True Online dominates the fixed broadband market, with 4.6 million subscribers as of the end of 2021 (including some 442,000 net adds in 2021 alone).
For its part, AIS launched its residential fibre broadband service, ‘AIS Fibre’, in 2015, offering speeds of up to 1Gb/s via FttP. AIS has allocated part of its THB30-35 billion capex guidance for 2022 to growing its fibre network footprint and customer base. The operator reported gaining 435,100 new customers in 2021, representing about 25% of all net additions, across the sector, for the year.
Table of Contents
Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison
- Market characteristics
- Market Leaders
- Market Challengers
- Market Emergents
- TMI vs GDP
- Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
- Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration
Country overview
Covid-19 and its impact on the telecom sector
- Economic considerations and responses
- Subscribers
- Infrastructure
Telecommunications market
- Market analysis
Regulatory environment
- Regulatory authorities
- Fixed-line developments
- Mobile network developments
Mobile market
- Market analysis
- Mobile statistics
- Mobile infrastructure
- Major mobile operators
- MVNOs
Fixed-line broadband market
- Market analysis
- Broadband statistics
- Broadband service providers
- Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks
- Other fixed broadband services
Digital economy
- e-Government
- e-Commerce
- e-Health
Fixed network operators
- Introduction
- National telecom
- True Corp
- Advance Information Services (AIS)
Telecommunications infrastructure
- Overview of the national telecom network
- Government Infrastructure Projects
- International infrastructure
- Data Centres
- Smart infrastructure
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports
List of Tables
Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Thailand 2022 (e)Table 2 Development of telecom sector revenue (THB million) 2017 2020
Table 3 Development of telecom revenue by type (THB million) 2012 2019
Table 4 Development of mobile service revenue by type (THB million) 2016 2021
Table 5 Percentage of the population covered by type of mobile network 2014 2020
Table 6 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 7 SMS traffic 2012 2021
Table 8 MMS traffic 2017 2021
Table 9 Change in the number of base stations by spectrum band 2019 2021
Table 10 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 11 Operator share of the mobile market 2012 2021
Table 12 Development of AIS's revenue and annual change 2012 2021
Table 13 Development of AIS's financial data (THB billion) 2012 2021
Table 14 Change on the number of AIS's mobile subscribers (million) 2012 2021
Table 15 Development of AIS's mobile ARPU (THB / user / month) 2012 2021
Table 16 Change in AWN's mobile churn 2016 2021
Table 17 Change in the number of DTAC's mobile subscribers (million) 2012 2021
Table 18 Change in DTAC's mobile ARPU (THB / user / month) 2012 2021
Table 19 Development of DTAC's telecom revenue 2013 2021
Table 20 Development of DTAC's revenue (THB billion) 2013 2021
Table 21 Development of TrueMove H's financial data (THB million) 2012 2021
Table 22 Development of True Corp's financial data (THB million) 2012 2021
Table 23 Change in the number of TrueMove's mobile subscribers (million) 2012 2021
Table 24 Development of True Move's mobile ARPU (THB / user / month) 2012 2021
Table 25 CAT Telecom financial data (THB million) 2012 2020
Table 26 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Table 27 Change in the proportion of fixed broadband subscribers by technology 2016 2021
Table 28 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology (million) 2012 2019
Table 29 Change in fixed broadband traffic capacity by platform (Gb/s) 2016 2021
Table 30 Change in fixed broadband access revenue (THB million) 2016 2021
Table 31 Increase in the number of TrueOnline's fixed broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Table 32 Development of TrueOnline's annualised fixed broadband ARPU 2012 2021
Table 33 Increase in the number of AIS's fixed broadband subscribers 2015 2021
Table 34 Development of AIS's fixed broadband ARPU 2015 2021
Table 35 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and penetration 2012 2027
Table 36 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
Table 37 Historic - Mobile subscribers, penetration, and annual growth 1999 2011
Table 38 Historic - AIS mobile subscribers (million) 2004 2011
Table 39 Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2001 2011
Table 40 Historic - DSL subscribers 2002 2014
Table 41 Historic - Fibre-based broadband subscribers 2010 2014
Table 42 Historic - True's fixed-line subscribers 2004 2015
Table 43 Historic - Fixed lines and Penetration 1995 2011
Table 44 Historic - AIS mobile ARPU (THB / user / month) 2007 2011
Table 45 Historic - True Move mobile subscribers (million) 2008 2011
Table 46 Historic - True Move ARPU (THB / user / month) 2007 2011
Table 47 Historic - TrueOnline fixed broadband subscribers 2008 2011
Table 48 Historic - DTAC mobile subscribers (million) 2007 2011
Table 49 Historic - DTAC mobile ARPU (THB / user / month) 2008 2011
Table 50 Historic - TOT's fixed-line subscribers 2005 2013
Table 51 Historic - Increase in international internet bandwidth 2008 2011
List of Charts
Chart 1 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index Market LeadersChart 2 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers
Chart 3 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index Market Emergents
Chart 4 Asia Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 Asia Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 South East Asia Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 South East Asia Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 Development of telecom sector revenue 2017 2020
Chart 9 Development of telecom revenue by type 2012 2019
Chart 10 Development of mobile service revenue by type 2016 2021
Chart 11 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 12 SMS traffic 2012 2021
Chart 13 MMS traffic 2017 2021
Chart 14 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 15 Operator share of the mobile market 2012 2021
Chart 16 Development of AIS's revenue and annual change 2012 2021
Chart 17 Development of AIS's financial data 2012 2021
Chart 18 Change on the number of AIS's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 19 Development of AIS's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 20 Change in the number of DTAC's mobile subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 21 Change in DTAC's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 22 Development of DTAC's telecom revenue 2013 2021
Chart 23 Development of DTAC's revenue 2013 2021
Chart 24 Development of TrueMove H's financial data 2012 2021
Chart 25 Development of True Corp's financial data 2012 2021
Chart 26 Change in the number of TrueMove's mobile subscribers (million) 2012 2021
Chart 27 Development of True Move's mobile ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 28 CAT Telecom financial data 2012 2020
Chart 29 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2012 2027
Chart 30 Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by technology 2012 2019
Chart 31 Change in fixed broadband access revenue 2016 2021
Chart 32 Increase in the number of TrueOnline's fixed broadband subscribers 2012 2021
Chart 33 Development of TrueOnline's annualised fixed broadband ARPU 2012 2021
Chart 34 Increase in the number of AIS's fixed broadband subscribers 2015 2021
Chart 35 Development of AIS's fixed broadband ARPU 2015 2021
Chart 36 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2012 2027
Chart 37 Increase in international internet bandwidth 2012 2020
List of Exhibits
Exhibit 1 Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in AsiaExhibit 2 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 Asia Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 Asia Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 Asia Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 5G auction result February 2020
Exhibit 7 DTAC payments for spectrum concessions June 2020
Exhibit 8 Principal submarine cable networks
Exhibit 9 Thaicom's satellite network
Exhibit 10 Inet's Data Centres
Exhibit 11 TCC Technology's data centres
Exhibit 12 International internet gateway operators in Thailand
Companies Mentioned
- TOT Corp
- CAT Telecom
- True Corp
- True Move
- TT&T
- AIS
- DTAC
- Thaicom
- Triple T Broadband
- AIS
- DTAC
- Cable Thai (CTH)
