Telecommuting: a very fine balancing act

Though free access at hotspots around the city will give Bangkokians the freedom to work anywhere, employers still need to make sure that productivity doesn't suffer

Published on July 1, 2008

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and an Internet service provider have teamed up to offer free wireless access to residents and tourists at more than 20,000 locations citywide. The collaboration was part of the "Green Bangkok" campaign to help people cut back on unnecessary travel and conserve energy.

The skyrocketing price of oil has forced businesses as well as government agencies to rethink the way they manage their workforce. In Bangkok, the concept of telecommuting is now being seriously considered by many firms in both the private and public sectors.

Telecommuting, a trend that started in North America in the 1990s, depends on employers and employees achieving a fine balance between the need to control and the need for freedom as well as efficiency and productivity.

Maintaining stability

The work-anywhere concept, if done right, not only delivers a wide range of benefits to employers who can save on the cost of maintaining offices, achieve better performance from the workforce but also allows people to better balance their work and personal lives.

The free use of Wi-Fi hotspots and access to higher-bandwidths for a fee are all considered part of an infrastructure that is conducive to the growing telecommuting trend.

The free service at 64 kilobits per second is just fast enough for people with wireless-enabled notebooks, mobile phones and hand-held gadgets to receive and send e-mails. This free access service is going to run for one year, until June 2009.

Meanwhile, consumers who require faster connections will still have to pay for it.

The joint promotion will benefit both Bangkok residents and the True Corporation, which is offering to add another 15,000 access points on top of its existing 4,500 in the city. Most of the new access points will be located on 10 major roads which make up Bangkok's key business and financial districts, including Silom, Sathorn, Rama IV, Sukhumvit and New Phetchaburi.

The deployment of other wireless technologies, including Wi-MAX and 3G, which promise even more convenience to the masses at a higher bandwidth and much wider coverage areas, are in the pipeline.

The most important thing is for government regulators to ensure a level playing field for service providers so that everyone, from corporate users to individual consumers, can enjoy the fullest benefits of technology at a fair price.