The Internet in Laos was first introduced in 1997, with the two commercial ISP services starting in 1999, specifically PlaNet Computers and GlobeNet. These services supported a rapid growth of internet cafes across the country to service tourists, which incidentally introduced the internet to many English speaking Lao nationals. The introduction of
mobile broadband has significantly increased the use of the Internet in
Laos since 2008.
Status
*
Internet users
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
: 707,871 users, 125th in the world; 10.7% of the population, 169th in the world (2012).
["Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012"]
International Telecommunication Union (Geneva), June 2013, retrieved 22 June 2013[Calculated using penetration rate and population data fro]
"Countries and Areas Ranked by Population: 2012"
, Population data, International Programs, U.S. Census Bureau, retrieved 26 June 2013
*
Fixed broadband: 96,291 subscribers, 101st in the world; 1.5% of the population, 134th in the world (2012).
*
Mobile broadband: 50,648 subscribers, 124th in the world; 0.8% of the population, 134th in the world (2012).
["Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012"](_blank)
, Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies. It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Unio ...
. Retrieved on 29 June 2013.
* Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Mosk ...
: 150,000 subscribers (2012).
* Internet hosts: 1,532, 166th in the world (2012).
* IPv4: 54,784 addresses allocated, 0% of the worldwide total, 8.3 addresses per 1000 people (2012).
* Top level domain
A top-level domain (TLD) is one of the domains at the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System of the Internet after the root domain. The top-level domain names are installed in the root zone of the name space. For all domains in ...
: .la
.la is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Laos.
Although the .la domain is officially assigned to the country of Laos, subdomains have been delegated to some organizations outside Laos.
History
The LA Names Corporation, b ...
On 4 July 2013, The Lao Ministry of Post and Telecommunication's National Internet Center announced that it had launched the Lao Computer Emergency Response Team (LaoCERT), a branch of government focused on battling cyber crime.
Local operators
In 2008 two operators, Lao Telecom and Unitel, were granted 3G licenses. Another two licenses were issued to ETL and Beeline
A bee line is an idiom for the shortest route or a straight line between two points (see "as the crow flies"): bee line, bee-line, or beeline may also refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Beeline (brand), a telecommunications brand by VimpelCom L ...
in 2011. In 2012, the main ways to access Internet in Laos are:
:* 3G (up to 21 Mbps HSPA+)
:* ADSL
Asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) is a type of digital subscriber line (DSL) technology, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional voiceband modem can provide. ...
(up to 2 Mbps)
:*WiMAX
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) is a family of wireless broadband communication standards based on the IEEE 802.16 set of standards, which provide physical layer (PHY) and media access control (MAC) options.
The WiMAX ...
(up to 10 Mbps)
4G was introduced in 2015, and a new licensed ISP Lao Champa Internet.
Censorship and surveillance
Laos is included in the OpenNet Initiative
The OpenNet Initiative (ONI) was a joint project whose goal was to monitor and report on internet filtering and surveillance practices by nations. The project employed a number of technical means, as well as an international network of investigato ...
(ONI) Regional Overview for Asia (2009).["ONI Regional Overview: Asia"]
OpenNet Initiative, June 2009. ONI found no evidence of Internet filtering in the political, social, conflict/security, and tools areas based on testing performed in 2011."Summarized global Internet filtering data spreadsheet"
OpenNet Initiative, 20 September 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
The government controls domestic Internet servers and sporadically monitors Internet usage, but by the end of 2012 it apparently did not have the ability to block access to Web sites. Authorities have developed infrastructure to route all Internet traffic through a single gateway, enabling them to monitor and restrict content. However, they apparently had not utilized this increased capability as of the end of 2012. The National Internet Committee under the Prime Minister's Office administers the Internet system. The office requires Internet service providers to submit quarterly reports and link their gateways to facilitate monitoring, but the government's enforcement capability appears limited.
''Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012'', Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 22 March 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
The law generally protects privacy, including that of mail, telephone, and electronic correspondence, but the government reportedly continues to violate these legal protections when there is a perceived security threat. The law prohibits unlawful searches and seizures. While the law requires that police obtain search authorization from a prosecutor or a panel of judges, police do not always obtain prior approval, especially in rural areas. Security laws allow the government to monitor individuals’ movements and private communications, including via cell phones and e-mail.
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See also
* Telecommunications in Laos
Mass media in Laos are based on a network of telephone lines and radiotelephone communications in remote areas, as well as mobile phone infrastructure. The system is not well-developed.
Infrastructure and statistics
In 1997 there were 25,000 tel ...
References
{{Internet censorship by country
Laos
Laos
Communications in Laos