SoftBank Group Corp. and True Corporation Public Co. Ltd., Thailand's telecommunications conglomerate, have teamed up to launch an internet exchange service with the aim of capitalizing on growing digital data traffic in the country.
BBIX Inc., a wholly owned SoftBank subsidiary, says it has established the joint venture BBIX (Thailand) Co. Ltd. to provide a carrier-neutral, low-latency internet exchange peering service — which allows internet service providers to exchange traffic — with True Internet Data Center Co., a data center and cloud service under the local group.
The service will be available before the end of the year.
Based on an internet exchange point, the technology will allow data transmission at speeds five to six times faster and at a 10 percent reduction in cost compared with commonly used services in Thailand, BBIX President Keiichi Makizono said at a news conference in Bangkok last week.
The method is "to shift from internet service provider-centric interconnection to an equal footing-based peering world" with its internet exchange platform, according to a joint statement.
The joint venture is 49 percent owned by BBIX and 51 percent by the local partner. The Tokyo-based company moved into Thailand as part of its overseas expansion plan following forays into Hong Kong, Singapore and the United States.
It will initially focus on clients in Bangkok by utilizing existing facilities owned by True, while considering whether to extend the service to other Southeast Asian nations such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
The two firms believe the joint venture will enhance Thailand's internet infrastructure, encourage the digital economy and attract more foreign direct investment into the country.