United Information Highway, a telecom network provider, has allied with TCC Technology, a data centre service provider, to spend a combined 1.5 billion baht on expanding its data network and data centre facilities to serve anticipated demand. The collaboration between the subsidiary of Benchachinda Group and the data centre arm of liquor tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi is aimed at providing turnkey telecom service, targeting foreign investments from the upcoming Asean Economic Community in 2015.

Vichai Bencharongkul, UIH's chairman, said his company is spending 1.2 billion baht to expand its data network coverage and capacity to accommodate increasing internet bandwidth consumption, especially as full 3G licensing and commercial services are planned later this year. The two firms expect local data centre service demand to increase 300% to 100,000 square metres in two years.

Mr. Kosit Suksingha, Managing Director of TCC Technology, said, “Having a strong ally like UIH to help make things happen the way we have imagined is considered an important opportunity for TCCT. TCCT ‘s more than ten years of experiences in data centre combined with UIH’s more than 16 years of experiences in telecommunication systems will create a telecommunication service linking every strategic locations in the industry together, from data centres to customers, allies to leading corporations and buildings in the TCC group. This data linking and transferring through high speed internet will not only be available in Bangkok, but it will enable linking with every region in the world.  This collaboration is promoting TCCT’s data centre business that welcomes every corporation with true borderless communications.”

Panot Sirivadhanabhakdi, TCC Technology's executive director, said partnering with UIH would enhance business opportunities for both parties to serve international internet connectivity demand from eastern Thailand to Cambodia, Vietnam and Hong Kong, as well as from southern Thailand extending to Malaysia and Singapore.

This collaboration between UIH under the Benchachinda Group and TCCT is considered a key step which will raise the standards to ASEAN quality broadband or telecommunication services or Regional Carrier. The corporations are ready to provide network management for high speed communication circuits and internet, including data centre services, in order to integrally link domestic branches and international organizations with readiness to provide services in every channel, virtually an instrument that opens the gate of business trading to an international level through international boundaries for Eastern part from Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong from Southern part for Malaysia, Singapore in and the final destination in Hong Kong.