Lao Telecom announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Lao-China Railway Company Limited to build a 4G signal network along the Lao-China railway that will also serve passengers.
Under the agreement – which was signed on June 11 – the two companies will build and operate a 4G mobile network along the 224-km Lao-China railway corridor from Vientiane to Luang Prabang, with an investment budget of over US$8 million.
According to a statement posted on Lao Telecom’s web site, Lao-China Railway will provide Lao Telecom with telecom infrastructure resources, including mobile base stations, fibre optic cables and related equipment.
The goal of the project is to not only develop and expand the cellular signal network with 4G and fibre, but also improve data connectivity services for passengers onboard the trains and inside the stations. Lao Telecom said the network will be designed to deliver download speeds of at least 3 Mbps per user.
Lao Telecom said the project will be deployed in two phases, with the first phase expected to be completed by the end of this year. By that time, 64% of the signal control network (excluding tunnels) will be completed. Phase 2 will start in early 2027, which will see the signal network covering 90% of the entire route.
