Incumbent telco Lao Telecom announced it has expanded its 5G service to Savannakhet province, with coverage now available at ten locations in the provincial capital of the same name.
Lao Telecom officially launched the service in Savannakhet at a launch event on Thursday. The telco said it would eventually expand coverage in Savannakhet to “areas that are suitable for the use of 5G”, without giving details. Lao Telecom’s 5G rollouts to date have focused on urban areas, universities and tourist attractions.
The telco officially launched 5G services in 28 locations in Vientiane in January 2024, four years after an initial launch in the city in 2020. Since then, Lao Telecom has expanded 5G to Luang Prabang, Champassak and Bokèo province.
At the launch event, Lao Telecom also showcased various 5G use cases such as area surveys using 5G drones, smart-farming solutions and virtual reality apps for things like games and tourism.
Lao Telecom remains the only telco in Laos to offer 5G for now. Rival mobile operator Unitel has been trialing 5G since 2019, but has yet to announce a full commercial launch.