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Feb 25, 2025

Success of AIS ‘5G Mode’ Unveils Lucr... - Mobile World Live

PARTNER CONTENT: In the run up to MWC 2025, discussions have started on a number of exciting themes that redefine the future of telecommunications. These include cutting-edge technological

PARTNER CONTENT: In the run up to MWC 2025, discussions have started on a number of exciting themes that redefine the future of telecommunications.

These include cutting-edge technological advancements and innovative strategies that are being deployed to harness the rapidly growing demand for data, while tackling increasing price pressures and narrowing margins.

Welcoming subscribers to ‘5G Mode’

Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand’s leading 5G mobile operator, has taken a strong lead in this space by adopting a highly targeted approach to monetization. In December 2023, the mobile operator, who currently boasts over 45.8 million mobile subscribers1, rolled out its ‘5G Mode’ add-on offering, comprising three innovative plans – 5G BOOST Mode, 5G GAME Mode and 5G LIVE Mode2.

5G Mode Plans

The plans, which tap into Thailand’s most lucrative digital content segments, offer both postpaid and prepaid 5G subscribers premium connectivity with differentiated optimization options. 5G BOOST Mode ensures full 5G speeds for HD content, delivering improved experiences for data-intensive applications such as video streaming, online meetings and large file downloads. For gaming enthusiasts, 5G GAME Mode comes with low latencies for a stable gameplay without lags or buffering, covering 13 popular mobile games including ROV, Call of Duty Mobile, FIFA Mobile, Free Fire, Mobile Legends Bang Bang and Pokemon Unite. 5G LIVE Mode, in the meantime, offers interruption-free live streaming experiences for the five most popular apps and more – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Shopee and Lazada. At just Baht 49 for 3 hours, subscribers can add any of these plans to their existing subscription, and have access to enhanced Quality of Experience (QoE) across their Internet, gaming and live streaming sessions, especially in crowded areas.

Uncovering niche segments

AIS’ move to introduce its 5G Mode portfolio aligns to the rapid growth in mobile content consumption in Thailand. Striking a cord with digital natives and a large section of Thailand’s young population who are embracing digital lifestyles and spending more time on their mobile devices, the offering presents a shift in how operators are capitalizing emerging opportunities in the mobile space. Instead of focusing on generic data connectivity, the ‘5G Mode’ add-on leverages QoS differentiation where network resources are allocated intelligently based on the mix of subscriber classes and application types.

Registering over 180,000 subscribers in just one year upon launch, AIS’ ‘5G Mode’ offering showcases the operator’s ability to translate subscriber preferences into revenue opportunities. Video and social media content, for example, has become the single biggest driver for mobile data usage across the globe and South East Asia (SEA). S&P global Market Intelligence anticipates paid over-the-top (OTT) video streaming services in SEA to reach 50 million subscriptions or USD 1.9 billion as of end of 20243. Statista estimates total revenue from the OTT video market, which includes advertising income, to reach USD 4.81 billion in the region, and USD 880 million for Thailand, by end of this year4. By 2029, Thailand’s revenue in this market is expected to hit USD 1.1 billion5.

The gaming market is also another fast growing segment for mobile data. The SEA market for gaming is expected to reach USD 14.97 billion by 2023, according to Mordor Intelligence6. Based on another analysis, from Sensor Tower, Thailand tops the SEA market in terms of mobile game revenue, raking in more than USD 400 million between January to August 20247.

Contextual marketing strategies boost uptake

Underpinning AIS’ success story is its effective marketing campaigns that focused not only on online channels, but also offline avenues. As a specialized offering, AIS used a contextual approach that targeted young people and gamers specifically, with outreach activities that were crafted around their lifestyles and consumption choices. For example, AIS is a key partner of annual New Year celebrations across the country’s major hotspots, including Central World – driving visibility and drawing massive interest via branded kiosks, leaflets and live coverage events. The operator’s marketing campaign also targets other popular venues often frequented by these demographics, for example universities and airports.

Interestingly, AIS also saw a huge potential for its ‘5G Mode’ packages amidst the influx of Chinese tourists, owing to the demand for stable and reliable connectivity as they tour Thailand. By leveraging China’s popular WeChat app and its ‘mini programs’, AIS attracted sign-ups and drove subscriptions from this segment. Collectively, these customized approaches led to a steady rise in 5G Mode take-up numbers over the past year.

Another factor that drove AIS’ feat is its network capabilities. The ability to deliver premium connectivity that guarantees constant high speeds and low latencies is critical, especially as adoption accelerates and overall network load grows, particularly in denser environments. AI and autonomous capabilities ensure sufficient network capacity is allocated seamlessly for select subscribers across their preferred gaming and streaming bundles. Operators must also have in place effective mechanisms to monitor and continuously optimize their network resources based on their SLAs.

More control in the hands of users

Leveraging analytics and AI, these offerings can be further enriched with data-driven value-added functionalities. This includes real-time reporting of network performance, and access to reports that summarize session KPIs such as bandwidth, throughput, uplink and downlink speeds and latencies, and benchmark analyses based on average user scores. AIS has already made some inroads in these areas, by introducing ‘Living Network’ capabilities as part of its myNetwork self-service feature. The ‘Living Network’, which is accessible on its myAIS application, enables ‘5G Mode’ subscribers to optimize their Internet speeds on demand, and thus customize their experiences. It also allows subscribers to keep tabs on their actual QoS and identify disruptions that can affect their application experience.

Generating new revenue streams and delivering a handsome ARPU without necessitating additional investment outlays, AIS’ ‘5G Mode’ packages prove that innovative strategies can drive significant value from existing infrastructure and systems, while filling up service gaps in the market and improving subscriber satisfaction. With MWC 2025 drawing closer, this and other similar success stories are expected to take center stage and pave the way for unlimited possibilities in the mobile space.

This article was originally published in The Fast Mode.

Image Credit: SasinP/Bigstockphoto.com

References

1AIS – https://investor.ais.co.th/news.html/id/2516134/group/newsroom_press

2AIS – https://www.ais.th/en/consumers/lifestyle/new-myais/mynetwork/mynetwork-mobile

3S&P Global Market Intelligence – https://www.spglobal.com/market-intelligence/en/news-insights/research/southeast-asia-key-ott-trends-in-2024

4Statista – https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/media/tv-video/ott-video/southeast-asia

5Statista – https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/media/tv-video/ott-video/thailand

6Mordor Intelligence – https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/southeast-asia-gaming-market

7Sensor Tower – https://sensortower.com/blog/southeast-asian-mobile-game-market-insights-2024