5th 5G Service Export... LG Uplus Partners with Thailand's Top Telecom Operator

Thailand's Largest Carrier AIS Signs $11 Million 5G Solution and Content Export Deal
Record $22 Million Cumulative Exports Across 5 Asian Countries

LG Uplus announced on the 28th that it has signed a 5G solution and content export contract worth a record $11.14 million with AIS, Thailand's largest mobile carrier. The photo shows Yoonho Choi, Senior Vice President of LG Uplus XR Service Business, signing the 5G export contract via video conference with Pratana Lilapanang, Chief Consumer Business Officer of AIS Thailand. Photo by Yoonho Choi

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] LG Uplus has achieved its fifth service export success this year by expanding the global 5G content alliance and partnering with Thailand's top telecom operator. This is significant not only as the largest export scale by a single country but also because it expanded the export scope from simple content to service solutions.

LG Uplus announced on the 28th that it signed a 5G solution and content export contract worth a record $11.14 million with AIS, Thailand's largest mobile carrier, and will provide services starting in April. The export contract has been underway since January and was finalized via video conference.

AIS is Thailand's largest mobile carrier with a market share of 45.6% based on revenue as of the end of 2020, boasting over 41 million subscribers. Last year, AIS became the first in Thailand to build a nationwide 5G network, providing services in 77 regions.

Previously, LG Uplus exported 5G content starting with China Telecom (China) in 2019, followed by Hong Kong Telecom (Hong Kong), KDDI (Japan), and Tsinghua Telecom (Taiwan) last year. With this contract, the cumulative export of 5G solutions and content reaches a total of $22 million.

The export scale to AIS accounts for half of LG Uplus's total 5G content exports. Unlike previous exports that only sold 5G content, this contract provides a total solution including ▲augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) content, ▲application and server platform construction, ▲training for AIS employees on operation guides, and ▲service commercialization testing through to service launch.

LG Uplus expects that differentiated 5G content such as Korean music program idol performances and one-on-one VR dates with famous celebrities will attract Thai customers. In addition to existing 5G content, LG Uplus will continuously update and supply popular domestic content currently airing in Korea to AIS. It will also provide internationally renowned performance content such as "Cirque du Soleil" and transfer 5G service operation know-how to AIS.

Choi Yoon-ho, Executive Director of XR Services at LG Uplus, said, "This AIS export contract is the result of LG Uplus overcoming the limitations of the domestic industry and targeting overseas markets by establishing country-specific sales strategies despite the difficulties of overseas expansion due to COVID-19. It is highly meaningful that we opened the possibility of expanding to neighboring Southeast Asian countries by providing total solutions to AIS beyond simple content."

Pratana Lilapanang, Chief Consumer Business Officer of AIS, said, "AIS is the first company in Thailand to provide digital life services through 5G services based on the widest coverage in the country and plans to continue 5G services. We will continue to cooperate with LG Uplus, Korea's largest entertainment content provider." He added, "Through AIS's '5G PLAY VR' app, we will provide immersive content experiences and become the platform offering the largest exclusive immersive content in Southeast Asia, including Thailand."

Meanwhile, LG Uplus launched the global 5G content alliance 'XR Alliance' last year and serves as its inaugural chair company. The XR Alliance includes 10 operators from 7 regions such as the U.S. companies Qualcomm and Verizon; telecom operators from Europe, Canada, Japan, China, and Taiwan including Orange, Bell Canada, KDDI, China Telecom, and Tsinghua Telecom; and immersive content producers from Canada and France such as Felix & Paul Studios and Atlas V.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.