Telecommunications and logistics in Laos: computer, internet, fax, phones, mobiles, satellite, broadband, cable, PAL TV, radio, bank ATMs, courier services in Vientiane and the Lao PDR
Whether for business, pleasure, leisure or retirement, communications by physical, electronic or digital means become important aspects to consider when choosing a foreign base for business or residence. Increasing numbers of people globally are earning their living by doing business exclusively via internet (broadband or ADSL where available) – using free or low cost services like Skype for telephone and video calls, fax, video conferencing or web seminars (webinars). Laos is no exception where broadband internet is affordable to most of those who need it to run online businesses efficiently.
Overseas Calls to and from Laos – land line and mobile
Remember the time zone difference! Laos is GMT + 7 hours. Without daylight saving, from the US West Coast, Laos is 15 hours ahead and 12 hours ahead of EST. So 3 p.m. in New York is 3 a.m. the next day in Vientiane (and much of SE Asia) when most Lao are sound asleep!
The international dial code for the Lao PDR is 856. To call or send an SMS text message from a mobile, start with +856 then the Lao number without a leading zero. From a home phone you need to put your country's international dial code first. In the USA it's 011. For the UK and many other countries including Laos it is 00. From the USA to Laos dial 011 856 then the 2 digit area code, e.g. 21 for Vientiane, 71 for Luang Prabang, followed by the 6 digit number. When calling Lao mobiles the code is 20 (30 for WinPhone numbers), followed by 7 digits.
Examples: From a UK phone to a Vientiane mobile 00 (or +) 856 20 123 4567. From home phone to home phone 00 856 21 123 456.
Within Laos, to call from a fixed line phone to a mobile, dial 020 then the 7 digit number. From one Lao SIM number to another you can just dial the 7 digits.
To make international calls from Laos, the outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 00 1 for the United States, 00 44 for the UK) and the number – without an area code zero.
Main Lao mobile operators all charge 2000 kip/min (US$0.23) internationally. Lao Telecom/WinPhone uses no special code i.e. 00 then country, area code and number. For Tigo SIM first dial 177 then country code etc. ETL dial 188.
Outside main cities and in remoter regions of Laos, ETL has better coverage than Tigo, according to travelers.
Regional Calls
007 is an alternative dial out code that can be used to make calls
between Thailand, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia for less than the 001
international rate, but may be more expensive than the 2000 kip rate from
Lao mobiles.
Phones & Internet in the Lao PDR – dial-up, DSL, broadband, mobile
Although internet usage is still in its relative infancy in the Lao PDR as a whole, mobile phones seem to be everywhere. However, most users are in Vientiane and other large towns and about half a million people, less than 8% of the Lao population, have a mobile phone. While figures are growing rapidly for cell phone users, internet access is of little importance to the average Lao, many of whom live in rural areas without mains electricity. An estimated 25,000 people were using the internet in Laos in 2006, but these figures will rise rapidly as more schools and colleges go online.
Lao language issues for PC and mobile phone
Lao Script for Windows is a commercial product available for Lao keyboard input (usually standard US or US/Thai keyboards with Lao key stickers). Google has a Lao language option. As far as is known, mobile phones sold in Laos will have English, probably Thai, possibly Chinese and Vietnamese language options only. Most Lao mobile users will opt for Thai or English for SMS text messaging.
Cellphone Networks in Laos
In Laos there are several mobile (cellphone) operators using GSM 900/1800 MHz networks. Almost all users have prepaid cards. SIMs can be purchased easily and anonymously, and used in any normal, unlocked mobile. If your overseas phone is locked, get it unlocked cheaply in a Thailand phone shop.
Lao
SIMs cost $5 and local calls about 800 kip (8 cents) a minute. Services include text messaging (SMS),
MMS. The two that currently offer WAP and
GPRS/EDGE for email and web browsing
are government-owned
ETL and
TIGO
– previously Tango.
Tigo Lao (020
780 0700) is
75% owned by
Millicom, listed on the NASDAQ (MICC)
and Swedish stock exchanges. They have mobile operations in 16 countries
including Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Laos in Asia. Tigo has increased its
market share considerably with intensive promotion, but ETL has wider
national coverage.
It's easy to buy a $5 Tigo SIM and set up and activate internet access via the TigoLao website. While they recommend visiting the office, it's not difficult to get the settings online and which can be downloaded to Nokia and other popular brand phones. Google Mail is an easy way to manage email on any web-enabled phone. If you have a free Google Account you can download the GMail Mobile application. Send and receive all your mail by first changing the POP/forwarding settings in your Google Mail account. Tigo is not yet an internet service provider, so it's not possible to open a direct email account with SMTP etc. but your phone can use Tigo to access existing accounts with other email servers.
Note that genuine brand-name mobiles (there are lots of fakes sold in Laos and Thailand) can connect to the internet and act as modems. Many of the cheap Chinese and Korean copies don't work properly in Lao and do not have all the features of the real thing. Some are pre-configured for the Thai market, and work with Thai SIMs such as AIS. Pirate-copy phones seem to be used mainly for phone calls and multimedia; internet access is less important.
With a
'real' Nokia, using Bluetooth or data cable, Tigo GPRS works well
(with Edge in some areas) and costs 1,000
kip (10 US cents per MB) which is cheap enough for email and small downloads. Mobile phones
with modem options can act as internet connections when others fail often due to
lightning strikes or power cuts which occur
frequently in Lao during the June-November rainy season.
If you are a Nokia or other mobile phone or camera owner having memory or file copy protection problems when upgrading a TransFlash or MicroSD card in your device, then visit our MicroSD page. We found a good solution and you can also download cheap games direct to your phone.
Rich and poor alike in Laos use mobile phones now that prices have dropped well below $50 for basic brand name as well as Chinese and Korean handsets bought locally or in Thailand. In Vientiane, near the Mekong River opposite the Thai towns of Sri-chiangmai and Nongkhai, Thai mobile operators like AIS, DTAC, Orange and True cells are within signal range, so their SIMs can be used for both telephone calls and internet access in Laos too. Some Vientiane residents have multiple SIMs and mobiles for Lao and Thai SIMs. Thai refill cards can also be bought in some Vientiane convenience stores and mobile phone shops. International Roaming is also available on several of the Thai and Lao cell phone networks.
Laos telecommunications improvements result from joint ventures between Thai, Chinese, Korean and Australian private enterprise and the Lao Government. Tigo (formerly Tango) and ETL are two Lao mobile phone operators offering web browsing services employing GPRS/EDGE technology. You can connect direct from a suitable phone or use the phone as a modem for your laptop or PC. Data transfer charges are reasonable for small downloads at about $0.10 per Mb. WiFi broadband, dialup and ADSL connections are also available in hotels and homes.
In larger cities and towns, there are numerous internet shops (dialup, ADSL and some with broadband or wi-fi connections) charging from $0.50 an hour; WiFi 'hotspots' are in the more expensive hotels and popular tourist and expat places like Joma Bakery. Residents have several options for home internet connection. Starting at $50 per month for 1 Gb monthly bandwidth is wireless broadband from Planet Online. Prepaid rates are cheaper. In Vientiane, service is limited to a radius of about 25 km from the transmission mast on the roof of Vientiane's tallest building, the 14 floor Don Chan Palace Hotel.
Dialup and ADSL in certain areas are available through Lao Telecom (LaoTel) and ETL. LaoTel's WinPhone is an easy and fairly inexpensive solution to the unavailability of a land line for normal dial-up internet and voice services. It uses a SIM-based wireless home-phone-type transmitter/receiver (mains or battery) with prepaid calling cards in 20,000 or 50,000 kip denominations, available from phone and other shops. WinPhone acts like a cell phone (sometimes requiring a $25 external antenna) and is a GSM CDMA (wireless loop) system which can be used for both voice and internet. Internet cost is 240 kip per minute (US$1.50/hour). The 420 kip per minute charge for local voice calls is considerably cheaper than around 800 kip using a mobile. An international call rate of 2000 kip/min (US$0.21) is standard for WinPhone and the other main mobile systems in Laos.
For fax service, if you don't have a fixed phone line, an alternative is the WinPhone terminal version, which doesn't have a handset, but has inputs for a standard handset, fax machine and PC. In certain areas outside the city, an external antenna may be required.
With WinPhone, internet access is stable and faster than a normal dialup line, and by comparison, ten times faster and more reliable than Flexi Phone, a similar system in use in Bali and other parts of Indonesia. While fast wireless broadband is best, using the WinPhone (or a Tigo or ETL mobile phone) as a modem provides an alternative for internet connectivity.
Lao WinPhone Modem Internet Settings (they can be difficult to find). Drivers are on the CD supplied with the phone or available from LaoTel's website. Set up a new dialup connection. Phone number: #777, Username: win@ltc.com, Password: win. To top up, follow the instructions on a LaoTel prepaid card (the red Winphone card has now been replaced by a single refill card for all LaoTel mobile services). For a balance check call 122. When a Lao voice asks you to choose a language (pasaa) press 2 for English.
Home or Business Telephone (PSTN) Lines in Lao PDR
It's possible to get Lao Telecom or ETL to install a new regular phone, fax or dialup (even ADSL and leased lines for internet) at your home or office, provided this is within 500 meters of a junction box. Application should be made to their offices adjacent to each other and not far from the Morning Market. They will do an area inspection and advise you of cost and time for installation (probably 2 or 3 weeks).
Significant expansion of terrestrial telephone networks (land lines or fiber-optic cables) for eventual nationwide coverage is unlikely in Laos, due to the large rural and mountainous areas and low population density. Wireless systems for communications and data transfer cost less and are relatively cheap to install and maintain, in developing countries especially.
Computer Usage in Laos
Although the Lao digital communications market is growing rapidly, it's mainly driven by the younger generation of students and entrepreneurs. There are relatively few business or domestic users in the Lao PDR. Not many need or can afford their own computer equipment and doing business by internet is still a fairly new concept. Language difficulties play a part in this as English is not widely spoken. However, students everywhere are learning to use computers (to chat to or email their friends mostly!) but they access the internet from schools, colleges and ubiquitous internet shops rather than from home.
Other International Telephone Services
Cable and Satellite TV
The very limited content Lao National Television service provides which includes low standard locally produced programs and daily showings of faded, fuzzy politico-historical archive film, is supplemented in Vientiane and surrounding areas by Thai TV transmissions from Nongkhai. Most urban Lao can understand Thai and the cultures are similar, so Thai movies, soap operas, talk and game shows are very popular.
Several satellite-based services exist; Thailand's True (formerly UBC) offers the most, but costs up to about $50 per month including equipment rental. Lao Cable TV is the biggest local company with Chinese backers. Available in Vientiane city and surrounding villages, the service costs around $100 for installation and the first 3 months viewing, then $15 every 6 months. Due to Lao's 'assisted development' status, many language groups are catered for besides Lao. There's English from the UK (BBC), USA (CNN, CNBC), Australia (ABC Australia Network) and Korea (Arirang); all Thai channels including several True (UBC), Vietnamese, Cambodian, Chinese (mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan), Japanese, Russian, French and German channels are all shown. Thai movies, Star Movies, HBO, and several Asian (Indian/Chinese/Singapore) movie and music channels are there too. About 35 channels in all.
A further solution is free TV via PC over the internet. Some 5000 channels from all over the world are accessible without special equipment such as smart cards, decoders, antenna dish or subscription fees. Access is via a single payment of $30 or less to download the software. This is not exclusive to the Lao PDR of course. It will work anywhere there's an internet connection.
Connecting your PC or laptop to a USB TV Tuner allows you to view and record aerial, satellite and cable programs. The advantages are numerous: unattended recording, manual editing, and permanent storage of pre-recorded programs or music on VCD or DVD are possible at virtually no cost. This is much easier, better and cheaper than VHS or TIVO recording!
TV broadcast systems and sets are not compatible worldwide. Most of SE Asia uses PAL, the same as in the UK and most of Europe. Exceptions are Burma, Philippines and Vietnam which use NTSC (also the USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and S Korea). Check this before buying TV sets or tuners for use in Laos and other Asian countries.
Logistics – freight and delivery services
Apart from conventional business, the web is being used increasingly for ordering, payment and arranging the shipment of products by local shippers and international couriers like DHL, FedEx, EMS and TNT* who have offices and agencies in the Lao PDR. They are able to pick up and deliver goods all over the world. Shipments from Vientiane are sent via Thailand, by air to Bangkok or by road via Nongkhai. Internet tracking is available for these services, with deliveries worldwide within 3-5 working days.
* TNT is currently closed in Vientiane. DHL is our recommended courier.
Electronic Banking in Laos
It's less than two years since Vientiane got its first ATM cash dispenser from a local bank. Now JDB has a dozen or more around the city, outside its main branch opposite the Morning Market, near the Lao Plaza and Novotel and scattered elsewhere on main roads. JDB now uses both PLUS and Cirrus networks. The government-owned BCEL accepts most cards and also has branches in Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and Pakse in the South. See Lao Banking page for further details.
Although local credit card merchant accounts are available, only JDB has announced internet banking for their 'offshore' account holders.
Technology
has helped transform a once sleepy backwater town into Vientiane Capital – a
city far more worthy of the name. However, much of traditional Lao life and customs
will remain for a long time to come – hopefully, anyway.
