Incumbent telco Lao Telecom has officially relaunched 5G services in the capital of Vientiane with expanded coverage, almost four years after a more limited launch in bits of the city.
Lao Telecom first launched 5G in September 2020 in a few select areas of Vientiane, including parts of Chanthabouly District and areas near the National University of Laos.
Last week, Lao Telecom held another 5G launch ceremony during the Lao Digital Week 2024 event. Lao Telecom revealed it is now offering 5G services in 28 locations across Vientiane, including tourist attractions, several shopping malls and universities, and Wattay International Airport. Lao Telecom said it is already making plans to expand coverage throughout the country.
Rival mobile operator Unitel has been trialing 5G since 2019, but has yet to announce a full commercial launch of the technology.
Lao Telecom’s initial “5G Lao Digital Life” package offers 500GB of data for 30 days for 500,000 kip (US$24.20). Customers can opt for a cheaper package offering 50GB for 30 days for 150,000 kip. The package also includes unlimited data roaming to Thailand. (Lao Telecom is 49% owned by Thaicom subsidiary Shenington Investments, with the Lao government owning the other 51%.)
The 5G service only works with a handful of smartphones, namely iPhones (from iPhone 12 up) and select Oppo models. iPhone users will need to upgrade to iOS version 17.2 to use 5G. Lao Telecom says that Samsung and other models will be able to use its 5G service “soon”.
Lao Telecom also spent Lao Digital Week showcasing possible use cases for 5G at its stand, such as virtual reality tours, industrial drones and smart farming.