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5G networks

Southeast Asia hastens 5G shift to close development gap

Vietnam and Thailand aim to parlay technology into advances in self-driving and AI

Thailand has begun to test 5G networks and services like automated driving that require such infrastructure. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)

HANOI/BANGKOK -- Southeast Asian nations are scrambling to introduce 5G networks, determined not to fall behind developed nations as the technology is critical to innovations such as autonomous driving and digital medical services.

Thailand and Vietnam plan to start 5G services as early as 2020, trailing rich nations by only a year or two. In contrast, they launched 4G services five years after their Western counterparts.

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