Bangkok: The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has launched a project to bury communication cables underground in the Yaowarat area, aligning with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations. This initiative is part of a wider plan to upgrade telecommunications infrastructure across the nation.

According to Thai News Agency, the NBTC, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, the Provincial Electricity Authority, and telecommunications licensees, has commenced the process of burying telecommunications cables using a shared terminal network. The project targets the Charoen Krung Road, Chak Phet Road, and Maha Chai Road in Yaowarat and is part of the 2025-2026 nationwide underground telecommunications cable initiative.

Mr. Sutthisak Tantayothin, Deputy Secretary-General of the NBTC for Telecommunications Affairs, announced that the removal of telecommunication cables in the designated Yaowarat area marks the first step in the 2025-2026 plan. The initial work spans from Yaowarat Soi 3 to the intersection of Song Sawat Road, covering a distance of 0.32 kilometers. This phase is progressing ahead of schedule and is expected to be completed by mid-February, coinciding with Chinese New Year festivities. The entire project in the Yaowarat section is anticipated to be finished by 2026.

The NBTC is supporting the effort to move telecommunication cables underground in line with Bangkok's strategic plan. This plan includes constructing and installing networks on major and minor roads with planned public utilities, as well as routes with high cable traffic, tourist spots, and historical sites. Once organized, the maintenance and management of these cables will be transferred to the Metropolitan Electricity Authority and the Provincial Electricity Authority.

In Bangkok, landowners of sidewalks have allocated space for the National Telecommunications Commission to build conduits for these cables, with plans to expand the project to cover the entire city.

Mr. Sutthisak emphasized that managing telecommunications lines requires cooperation from all involved agencies to ensure systematic management, improve the city's landscape, enhance safety, boost tourism, support the telecommunications industry's growth, and increase Bangkok's economic and social potential.