Lao media to go digital

The February 21^st Vientiane Times article stated that Laos will convert its media systems from analog to digital by 2020. According to the Deputy Director-General of Lao National Radio, 60-70 percent of Lao electronic media systems in production and editing are currently digital but the transmission and receiver equipment is still analog.

According to the article the Government may fund the project itself or look for international assistance and loans to cover the estimated $100 million to carry out the conversion.

The main challenges highlighted are the financial constraints and insufficient manpower. All production equipment at the Lao National Radio Station will be replaced with digital as part of a pilot project.

There is a proposed roll out of Provinces converting to digital with the three ‘major provinces’ converting first from 2013 to 2015.

Digital mapping given boost

The Finnish government has announced support of US$8 million to help develop a digital mapping project for Laos. According to the Vientiane Times, Wednesday 9th February, the programme will help the National Geographic Department to create, manage and distribute a modern national spatial data service. 

As Laos continues its rapid pace of development the use of land is becoming an important issue. As the article states this is a very necessary project as the country lacks reliable and up to date maps. The programme could as the VT states, play a vital role in monitoring inappropriate land use. If it is used in this way this can only be a positive development as forest cover in Laos, for example, has declined from 70 percent to 42 percent in 2002 (the latest figures). 

This programme is also a further example of Laos developing its ICT capabilities. As Mr Suominen, the project advisor is quoted as saying, 'the project would also introduce the latest ICT technology applied to local conditions, which has the potential to accelerate many aspects of development in Laos.

Laos - Thai media relations strengthened

According to a front page article in the Vientiane Times on 31st January and KPL News on 1st February, a Thai media and information affairs delegation recently visited Laos to discuss cooperation in media affairs. This involved discussions with the Ministry of Information and Culture about digital broadcasting. The Minister was quoted as saying that Laos is seeking advice as it switches from analog to digital transmission. 

A couple of days later the Vientiane Times ran a second story on Laos-Thai media cooperation. The article stated that an agreement was reached in human resource development for Lao media, through training courses, internships, and scholarship awards. Agreements were also made on providing 'facilities' for each others journalists on the reporting of the upcoming 9th congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party in March. What facilities this includes is not made clear. The President of the Lao Journalists Association was quoted as saying that the Lao media attach great importance to contributing to good, neighbourly relations between the two countries.