Unitel has won the Speedtest Awards for mobile network speed during the second and third quarter of 2019.
Ookla, the owner of the speedtest.net website, compared user-initiated tests taken on the Speedtest iOS and Android mobile apps from all the major mobile carriers in Laos during the award period to determine who showed the fastest mobile network speeds.
To win the award, Unitel achieved a speed score of 32.62, with average download speeds of 33.43 Mbps for download and 17.30 Mbps for upload.
Unitel demonstrated consistently higher speeds across networks in Vientiane, Pakse, and Luang Prabang.
Under the Speedtest.net scoring system, Unitel took first place, followed by Lao Telecom, ETL, and TPLUS.
According to a statement on the Ookla website, Speedtest.net, โsolely considers top carriers (all carriers with 3% or more of total test samples in the market for the period). We then determine the fastest carrier using Speed Score which incorporates a measure of each providerโs download and upload speed to rank network speed performance.โ
The Speedtest fastest mobile award report is available here.
Unitel recently conducted 5G tests in Laos, becoming the second player to do so after state-owned Lao Telecom.
The Don Sahong Hydropower Project on the Mekong River in Champasack Province has officially come online.
Turbines have now entered commercial operations, according to Chinese construction contractor, Sinohydro Corp Ltd.
The US 401 million hydropower project, near Khone Falls in Champasack Province, was completed 48 days ahead of schedule, according to the developer, Malaysiaโs Mega First Corp Bhd, after construction began in January 2016.
Investors in the project include Mega First, with an 80 percent share, while Laosโs EDL-GEN holds the remaining 20 percent.
Tests were carried out last month on the electricity generators at the installation, indicating that the project was almost complete.
The Don Sahong Dam is a run-of-the-river dam at the downstream end of the Hou Sahong channel between Don Sahong and Don Sadam islands. It has an installed capacity of 260 MW.
Power generated at the facility is to be exported to Thailand and Cambodia.
On the 13th of November, His Excellency Mr Phoukhong Sisoulath, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao Peopleโs Democratic Republic (Laos) presented a letter of credence to his Royal Highness Henri the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Grand Duke of Luxembourg (middle) stands with Lao Ambassador (left) and spouse. Photo credit: Claude Piscitelli
Laos and Luxembourg established diplomatic relations at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 1997. In the same year, Laos was chosen as a partner country for Luxembourgโs development cooperation program.
These abovementioned acts were consequently followed by tangible achievements, with an inaugural project in the health sector. In January of 2016, consistent with the policy of focusing the countryโs aid efforts in Least Developed Countries (LDC), Luxembourg officially opened an embassy in Vientiane. Luxembourg also takes part in the EU joint programming initiative with the Luxembourg Embassy taking the lead EU role in the health and aid effectiveness sectors.
The general framework of the cooperation relationship was established in Vientiane in February 2000 with the signing of a general cooperation agreement. This was complemented in November 2003 by the first Indicative Cooperation Programme (ICP I 2003-2006) of a total of 18 million euros, as well as the agreement establishing the partnership committee.
2006 saw the signing of the second ICP (ICP II 2007-2010), which increased the budget to 35 million euros, thereby significantly enhancing the scope of Luxembourgโs cooperation. The third ICP (ICP III 2011-2015), with a financial allocation of 50 million euros, made Luxembourg one of the leading donors in Laos.
The fourth ICP (ICP IV 2016-2020) with a budget of 60 million euros, significantly increased to 75 million euros at the end of 2017 (Addendum to ICP IV), is consistent with Luxembourgโs cooperation development program in Laos. The ICP is focused on poverty reduction, and is aligned with Laosโ 8th National Socio-Economic Development Plan (NSEDP 2016-2020). It is also focused on Laosโ needs, supporting it in its endeavor to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and to shed its status as one of the least developed countries in the world. The ICP is based mainly on the health, education, and development of human resources sectors as well as on integrated rural development. Particular emphasis is placed on good governance, which will also be a cross-cutting theme, alongside gender equality, the environment, and climate change.
At the multilateral level, Luxembourg is fully involved in the round table process. This takes the form of active participation, enhanced by strategic financial support. Additionally, Luxembourg is also involved in mine clearance efforts and the combating of certain types of criminality by aiming to offer alternative means of subsistence with the support of various UN agencies. Luxembourg supports a joint program involving three UN agencies targeting reproductive, maternal and infantile health, and also supports the implementation of the new national strategy in these sectors.
At the regional level, Luxembourg helps finance the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and supports good land management via a regional land governance project in this same region.
Seven Luxembourg NGOs, whose projects are co-financed up to 80% by the development cooperation program, are currently active in Laos namely in the health, rural development, education, food security, and legal training sectors. Certain NGOs have provided humanitarian support which is 100% financed by the development cooperation program.
Ambassador Sisoulath performs his duties from the Lao Embassy based in Brussels, Belgium, and also represents Laos to Belgium, the Netherlands and the European Union.
Laos is to complete the construction of the countryโs first baseball stadium this December.
South Koreaโs financial group DGB Group will support KRW 300 million (USD 256,200) for the construction of the stadium, with land and other necessary support provided by the Lao government.
The country began construction in April this year, recently completing soil flattening. The constructor is currently laying artificial turf, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Yonhap News quoted Kim Sang-hoon, the manager of the stadium, as saying that the stadium will be ready to open once the mound is installed.
The Lao Baseball Federation also plans to hold an international baseball league to celebrate the opening of the stadium by inviting teams from a total of five Southeast Asian countries.
Laos is currently hosting the 1st KOICA Cup Lao Baseball League in Vientiane.
The league, first of its kind in the country, will be held between November 16 and January 11 at Sapphavisa Stadium in the Lao capital Vientiane.
A total of six teams will participate, including Lao J Brothers, National University of Laos Miracle and four more from secondary schools in the capital.
The Governor of the Central Bank, Sonexay Sitpraxay has stated that weak domestic production is among the causes of the rapid depreciation of the KIP since June this year, according to a report in the Party newspaper Paxason.
The need to import many consumer goods has increased the demand for foreign currency, while the bank systemโs supply capacity can meet only about 50 percent of the total demand. Further exacerbating the situation is the appreciation of the US Dollar and Thai Baht. Officials estimate that the inflation rate should not exceed 3% this year.
Upon being asked by National Assembly members on 13 November about the possible reasons for a weak national currency, Governor Sonexay Sitpraxay responded: โthe weak KIP is a result of both domestic (weak production base) and foreign factors (strengthening of the USD and THB). It is also indicative of our frail economic foundations. Each year for the past ten years from 2008-2018, the nation has been experiencing, on average, a trade deficit of 850 million dollars. Imports amount to 3.7 billion dollars per year.โ
As stated previously, half of the current demand for foreign currency is met by the banking system and the other half by public consumers, which shows that a large percentage of the population uses foreign currency in their daily financial transactions.
Because Laos allows the public to hold account deposits in foreign currencies at any bank in Laos, the percentage of foreign currency accounts exceeds 50 percent of total bank deposits, an especially staggering ratio.
Ironically, the law on foreign currency management stipulates that only the KIP be used in daily financial transactions. The discrepancy between financial legislation and daily practice has resulted in a quagmire situation where currency regulation is extremely difficult.
Governor Sitpraxay cited other factors, namely natural disasters and disease outbreaks, which have negatively affected the food supply, the high volatility of world oil prices, and a strong Thai Baht causing the price of consumer imports to increase, all contributing to an inflation rate of 2.5% (over the past ten months). This is expected to increase to no more than 3%.
The Laotian Times brings our readers a round-up of some of the hottest and most shared topics during the recent weeks, based on reach and engagement on Facebook. From ridiculous car-jacking during the That Luang festivities to entertaining and heartwarming celebrity singers, this list gives an idea of the types of content that seem to be wildly share-worthy on Lao social media.
Tales from the That Luang Festival
Videos and photographs of the Boun That Luang, or That Luang Festival, surfaced on Facebook Pages starting on the 11th of November. Among them was this footage of the wax castle procession taken by an amateur videographer on the ground.
In the air, spectacular, rare aerial drone shots from the Cinema Department (Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism) were taken during the That Luang Festival showed an impressive turnout for the early morning religious festivities.
October marked the end of Buddhist Lent, which means that Lao couples are looking to get married. To usher in the wedding season, famous Lao celebrities Jear Pacific, Thongdy EasySpeak and Kinoi Laostar teamed up for a catchy music video entitled โDongโ (literally, wedding). The song satirizes the Lao cultural practice of giving money in envelopes to the newlyweds when attending a wedding.
In the arena of haute couture, digital audiences conveyed their praise to a gorgeous bride-to-be dressed in a fashionable modern interpretation of the traditional lowland Lao wedding dress spliced with ethnic Khmu designs.
One newlywed couple decided to organize a beautiful performance of ethnic tribal life at the Keomixay Convention Hall during their auspicious occasion.
In more serious news, a warning dated 14 Nov from a concerned citizen tells of counterfeit 50,000 kip notes circulating profusely in a market in Vang Vieng. According to the post, the note on the left (in the picture with two notes being compared) is fake.
Counterfeiters appear to operate anywhere and anytime and robbers are the same way. This next post shows the aftermath of a robbery โ indicating the sophistication of thieves nowadays. On the morning of 8 Nov, it was reported that thieves broke into a company office in Chommany Tai (Saysettha District, Vientiane Capital), by breaking through the windows and compromising two safes with steel-cutting apparatuses. The thieves got away with valuable items and cash amounting to over US $7,000. The public is urged to exercise extra caution.
Another clip that has gone viral is this next one of a carjacking taking place in the middle of a crowded traffic area on the main road to That Luang. Watch as a vigilante passerby and bystanders try to stop the car thief by unsuccessfully obstructing the car with various large items. It is not known whether the car (license plate: เบเบ 0090) was recovered.
Criminals are not the only perpetrators of crime these days. Party balloons can be just as dangerous. While many people were enjoying throwing darts at them in exchange for prizes at the That Luang Festival, these balloons were exploding near a womanโs face at a nearby bachelorette party. The woman depicted here was severely injured by several balloons that burst after they had gotten too close to a hot lamp. Questionable, low-quality gases that were used to inflate the balloons were suspected to have been the cause of the harmful explosion that caused visible injuries to the woman.
On a more uplifting note, Phone Philavai (เบเบญเบ เบเบดเบฅเบฒเปเบง), a young girl from Southern Savannakhet, innocently sang the song โNung Kod Kok Paoโ (meaning sitting and hugging a tree) in acapella style and uploaded it to her Facebook account. Moments later, the Lao internet went wild. Scores of musicians and studios added music to her acapella video and variations of the new and improved music video have circulated digitally far and wide.
The song is aptly about a girl sitting and hugging a tree while expressing deep affection for her male lover. Phoneโs song has inspired thousands of young men (and women) to casually post love comments and produce songs addressed to her, making Phone an instant social media sensation. Since then, she has been continuously launching new acapella solos, ending her videos with her famous signature, โmy internet data is running out!โ
And lastly, in the most inspiring of tales, a team of Thai doctors refused to let a sick Lao patient return home to die because the latter did not have enough money to pay for treatment. According to Channel 7 News Thailand, the 44-year-old Lao man, had only 200 Thai baht on him, had several small children, and was being treated in Thailand for a type of blood infection. After deliberating the case amongst each other in a chat group, the Thai doctors from multiple hospitals decided to undergo a 12-hour medical procedure in which they successfully treated the Lao man. They then raised the money, which would help pay for a half-month on-going treatment plan amounting to over 100,000 baht (3300 USD).
The Lao government has instructed dealers who import and sell vehicles to present their documents no later than November 29, in a move to address illegal vehicle imports.
Those who fail to present their documents may lose their business license and will not be allowed to import vehicles, according to Vientiane Times.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce will monitor and collect statistics from dealers whose activities and standard of service is in doubt.
The government has also instructed the relevant sectors to take stronger action to address the issue of illegal imports as many vehicle owners have not paid taxes.
The Lao customs sector has been seeking to resolve such issues for many years since it has caused the country significant amounts of revenue loss.
Between 2015 and 2016, for example, the government expected to collect revenue of LAK 2,426 billion (USD 273 million,) but it only was able to collect LAK 1,828 billion, accounting for 75.3 percent of the target.
During this period, more than 5,000 illegally imported vehicles were impounded.
Vientiane Times quoted the customs department as saying that some of them were destined for ministries, government departments, and individuals, but were imported by dealerships which failed to follow the proper procedures.
The United Nations Childrenโs Fund (UNICEF) has named Choi Siwon, a member of South Korean boyband Super Junior, as its new regional ambassador for East Asia and Pacific.
His appointment was announced on November 11 in the Lao capital Vientiane at an event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
The convention was designed to assess progress towards the implementation of the CRC and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discuss future efforts to unleash the unlimited potential of children and young people in Laos.
As part of the forum, Mr. Choi will participate in a Youth Talk Panel Discussion with a group of youth, who are contributing to further childrenโs rights.
He will also highlight the importance of sustained investments to unleash their potential as they develop between now and 2030 while visiting a school and youth-led radio group in Laos.
Over the last four years, Mr. Choi has been committed to childrenโs issues through his role as a special representative for UNICEF Korea.
In his capacity, he recently visited Vietnam, where he supported UNICEFโs campaign #StopBullying to raise awareness of bullying and engage young people in developing solutions to end this problem.
Regional Ambassadors are chosen among prominent individuals from art, science, literature, entertainment, sport or other fields of public life who have expressed a desire to contribute to raising awareness of the aims, objectives, and priorities of UNICEF to convey messages about its activities and to extend its public outreach.
Mr. Choi, who made a debut in 2005 as a member of South Korean boyband Super Junior, has been active in the entertainment industry across Asia as a singer and actor.
Meanwhile, Super Junior is one of the most influential boybands in South Korea and was the best-selling K-pop artist for four years in a row.