Asia Internet Symposium, Bangkok 2015

Industry Roundtable Discussion: OTT Trends and Implications to the Thai Digital Economy

The Internet Society’s Asia Internet Symposium (AIS) is a series of regional events that focus on debate, dialogue and deliberation on topical issues concerning the Internet. Typically a half-day or evening event, AIS is structured to provide an in-depth look at one particular topic with invited keynotes and presentations followed by a panel discussion.

About

Today users of the Internet enjoy the benefits of OTT services which are mostly offered for free. The increasing use of smartphones and tablet devices in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region has led to exponential growth in the availability and use of such services.

OTTs use of the existing communications services to deliver content to consumers is more often than not seen as an impact on potential revenue by the existing communications service providers.

A Study by AT Kearny, titled “The Future of Voice #” Ovum predicts that from 2012 to 2020, VoIP will cost the global telecom industry $49 billion in lost cumulative revenue. There is also the argument that the growth and use of OTT services do not necessarily translate directly into lost revenue for traditional telecom providers – if users had to pay to use the service, the actual usage rates may very well drop dramatically.

Despite its increasing adoption and usage, OTT is still relatively a recent development and in some ways its business model and impact on traditional providers is often quite subjective – depending on the point of view being exercised. This is reflected in the inconsistencies of prescription and solution within the regulatory field in many markets. In general, OTT services require open Internet access to provide services to their users.

During AIS Bangkok 2015, the Internet Society in collaboration with  local industry will   facilitate an Internet Industry forum focusing on Over-The-Top Services (OTT services) and its current and  future implications on the ICT and telecommunications business.  This is all the more timely as local policymakers are currently exploring possible policy choices to promote a richer local content industry on par with the regional and global market (i.e. IPTV, Mobile Internet, content development industry).

The half day event will first focus on understanding the current landscape and developments of OTT and this will be followed by a roundtable discussion on the basic challenges and opportunities for OTT services, its value chain and the possible options for the way forward on policy/regulatory practices.

Dimensions covered include:

OTT services and its current trends and future development by:

1)  Understanding its ecosystem (technology, services, platforms, industry practices, etc.) in the local, regional and global market

2)  Understanding the implications of OTT for Internet users and future content generators and the emerging Digital Economy

3)  Understanding the prerequisites (policies and practices) for innovation and creativity and the role of OTT

Who Should Attend:

The event targets  network  operators, ISPs, policymakers, the public sector, IP professionals, the ICT industry, SME businesses, the media, content providers, user groups and the education sector.

The symposium is open to Internet Society members and the general public. Entry is free. Registration is required and seating is limited.

Remarks

  1. Or sometimes better known as “Application and Content Providers” (ACP)
  2. Market and Industry Study
    According to Mobile Square, OTT is expected to overtake the growth of every other conventional services within the telecommunications scene (i.e. voice and SMS, mobile or fixed). The study claimed that 40% of smart phone based OTT services have replaced messaging traffic partially or completely from SMS.
  3. OTT services include services such as Whatsapp, Line, WeChat, Viber, Skype (VoIP), NetFlix, YouTube, Hulu, and various Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Google Plus.
Gold Sponsor:

Agenda

08:30 – 09:00 Registration

09:00 – 09:15 Opening Remarks

Rajnesh D. Singh, Regional Director, Asia-Pacific Bureau, Internet Society

09:15 – 10:30 Session 1 Presentation: Trends and Perspectives on OTT developments

Moderated by Duangthip Chomprang, Regional Affairs Manager, Asia-Pacific Bureau, Internet Society

10:30 – 10:45 Coffee Break

10:45 – 12:30 Session 2 Roundtable: What are the prerequisite for building a thriving local OTT market? 

Moderated by Dr. Ratthasart Korrasut,  Senior Director of ETDA

12:30 – 12:45

  • Internet Society 
Wrap Up and recommendations
  • Lucky Draw and Closing

Remarks

  1. Or sometimes better known as “Application and Content Providers” (ACP)
  2. Market and Industry Study
    According to Mobile Square, OTT is expected to overtake the growth of every other conventional services within the telecommunications scene (i.e. voice and SMS, mobile or fixed). The study claimed that 40% of smart phone based OTT services have replaced messaging traffic partially or completely from SMS.
  3. OTT services include services such as Whatsapp, Line, WeChat, Viber, Skype (VoIP), NetFlix, YouTube, Hulu, and various Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Google Plus.
Date and Time

Monday 03 August 2015