In 2021, the threat of Covid-19 continued to accelerate businesses’ and individuals’ rapid adoption of digital products and services to cope with lockdowns and social distancing. Despite these benefits, the pandemic also deepened existing digital divides, hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.
For dtac, the year 2021 was therefore a formidable test of our resilience and our commitment to empowering Thai society. We have been accelerating the digitization of work to improve operational efficiency and resilience. We continued to ensure affordable and high-speed connectivity on 4G and 5G. We launched new and beyond connectivity services that answer our customers’ changing needs. And as the covid cases rapidly surged, we provided support to frontline and essential workers in battling the pandemic and facilitating the vaccination rollout. We also empowered small-scale entrepreneurs and disadvantaged populations through digital upskilling, all this while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our employees and partners.
As we’re nearing the end of year, dtacblog reflects on the exceptional year of 2021 in pictures.
dtac collaborates with the STANDARD to do the first live broadcast on 26 GHz 5G in Asia, Bangkok, April 1
dtac and THE STANDARD made history with the first live broadcast on 26 GHz 5G in Asia, using a fixed wireless access on mmWave to stream high-definition video online. This technological first is part of dtac’s commitment to building 5G applications across numerous fields, including smart cities, advanced broadcasting, and smart water management.
dtac also continued to explore new use cases on 5G, including the ongoing collaboration between dtac, the Chaipattana Foundation, and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) to conduct agricultural research on lingzhi mushrooms in Fang, Chiang Mai, to create agricultural knowledge for neighboring communities where farmers can learn to produce high-value produce.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3yXHcaY
dtac commits to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030, Bangkok, May 27
In Q2, dtac organized a virtual forum, attended by leading media and thought leaders, to unveil three megatrends in the post-pandemic economy – a critical need for scale and efficiency, the threat of a widening digital divide, and the growing impact of climate change on supply chain sustainability. In response, the company announced its strategy to rethink business resilience and commit to responsible business practices, including the ambition to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3qlZrD1
dtac wins the 2021 Thailand Best Employer Brand Awards, Bangkok, March 16
dtac is recognized for world’s leading transformation employer in the 2021 Thailand Best Employer Brand Awards. The company received top honors in Career Development, Excellence in Training, HR Strategy in Line with Business, Health in the Workplace. The awards reflect dtac’s pioneering approach to employee empowerment: a self-serve platform for employees to plan their careers, hybrid work policy and a “tight-loose-tight” management style.
Read more at https://bit.ly/32s5cH4
dtac announces equal benefits for LGBTQ employees, Bangkok, June 29
dtac announced a set of policies to foster inclusion of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) employees. The policies reaffirm that dtac has zero tolerance for discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, while also offering new benefits for LGBTQ employees. The benefits dtac offers to legally wed couples will now be offered to same-sex couples in committed relationships. In addition, dtac now offers parental leave for adoptions and medical leave for gender reassignment surgery. The company expects the policies to foster diversity and inclusion, which will in turn increase productivity and improve services.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3Ft6lfR
dtac provides support to migrant communities heavily affected by Covid-19, Samut Sakhon, January 6
When the number of migrant workers testing positive for Covid-19 continued to climb in Samut Sakhon, the government-imposed cluster quarantine for those residing in apartments close to the central shrimp market. dtac, as the most trusted mobile operator among Thailand’s migrant communities from Cambodian and Myanmar, supported government efforts and launched online content in their respective languages to ensure workers under quarantine know of public health advisories and emergency regulations. To support our customers during a difficult time, we also provided free Covid-19 insurance with select offers, facial masks and more affordable international rates for migrants to call home.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3Er4d7h
dtac triples its data capacity at field hospitals to support frontline workers on the fight against Covid-19, Nonthaburi, May 13
The mobile industry is critical to controlling the Covid-19 outbreak in Thailand, providing uninterrupted services amid the surge in data usage. But dtac did more than ensuring society could continue to operate productively and safely. From tripling its data capacity to equipping field hospitals with connectivity solutions, dtac supported the fight against Covid-19 on multiple fronts. As the cases continued to rise, dtac joined forces with the Ministry of Public Health and the National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to support frontline workers and patients by providing high-speed internet with mobile base stations and free Wi-Fi with dtac@Home at the Bussarakham 1-5 Field Hospital.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3qlwg2S
dtac supports Thailand’s mass vaccination campaign at the Bang Sue Grand Central Station, Bangkok, June 2
dtac joined hands with other mobile operators, AIS, True and NT, in supporting the government’s mass vaccination campaign at the Bang Sue Grand Central Station by facilitating vaccination registrations and welcoming customers on-site, as per the process laid out by the health authorities. dtac opened its first round of registration to customers on May 27 on www.dtac.co.th and the dtac app, and the platforms were well received, with users describing them as stable and friendly.
Read more at https://bit.ly/32w1VGH
dtac expedites deployment of power generators for base stations impacted by Dian Moo Tropical Storm, Sukhothai, September 27
When Thailand was hit by the tropical storm Dian Moo, dtac expedited deployment of technicians to help people affected by power blackouts caused by the Dian Moo storm. Mobile power generators have been brought to power network base stations and communities where electricity has been cut off, such as the Tha Tako and Takhli districts in Nakhon Sawan; Bamnet Narong and Chaturat districts in Chaiyaphum; in the Lam Sonthi district in Lopburi, Sukhothai, and Petchabun.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3FrShDu
dtac Net for Living digitally upskills small-scale entrepreneurs, Bangkok, February 15
In February, dtac relaunched a digital upskilling initiative, dtac Net-for-Living (previously called Net Arsa), aiming to transform traditional merchants and small-scale entrepreneurs affected from Covid-19 to gain a digital presence, with the ability to use digital technology to explore offline-to-online business opportunities amid the challenging times. This is part of the company’s efforts to promote a digitally inclusive society and to narrow the digital divide, especially among the fragile populations. And in September, dtac in partnership with the Digital Economy Promotion Agency, the Internet Foundation for the Development, and social enterprise Young Happy, joined forces to launch the second season of the Net for Living program to digitally upskill entrepreneurs aged over 50 nationwide.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3poIXun
dtac connects remote village to mobile services for the first time, Lampang, October 4
The Ban Mai Samakki community was established in 2003 in Thailand’s Northern province of Lampang. But until September 2021, it had neither landline nor cell phone coverage. As Covid-19 accelerated digital transformation in Thailand, the community’s lack of connectivity turned into a full-blown crisis. With schools closed, children walked two kilometers every day to catch the nearest mobile signal and connect with their teachers online. The threat of being unable to make an emergency call without making a 40-min hike also became increasingly risky in the midst of a pandemic. dtac became the first operator to connect the community to voice and data services, opening it up to the world with digital inclusion.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3yUkIaF
dtac Net for Living trains villagers on digital skills in Sankhla Buri, Kanchanaburi, November 1
The dtac Net for Living team conducted digital skill development workshops for the neighboring community at Uttamanusorn Bridge in Sankhla Buri, commonly known as the Mon Bridge and one of the most iconic attractions in Thailand, where they were trained on the use of online platforms and social media to develop new sources of revenue and attract visitors. This is part of dtac’s efforts to back up Thailand reopening and its tourism recovery through the expansion of its network on 700 MHz spectrum and digital upskilling programs for local communities.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3H41QZu
Telenor Group and C.P. Group announce an equal partnership for Thailand’s digital transformation, Bangkok, November 22
Telenor Group and C.P. Group announced that they have agreed to explore the creation of a new company comprised of dtac and True. The new company will be a merger of equals, combining the best of the two local companies and the support its key sponsoring shareholders. Described by the two parties as a “tech telecom” company, the ambition is to accelerate Thailand’s digital transformation and deliver advanced digital services.
Read more at https://bit.ly/3EnIwV