dtac Responsible Business

The COVID-19 outbreak has put unprecedented pressure on global supply chains while also increasing the need for mobile connectivity. For dtac, the challenge is thus to guarantee the health and safety of its network operations teams while accelerating its network rollout. At the end of Q2’21, approximately 9,100 nodes of 700 MHz were installed, and dtac will continue to expand 5G capability to more sites in high-traffic areas. An operation of this size requires vendors and partners, which all need to agree to dtac’s strict safety measures and human rights standards for all workers in its supply chain. One of them is BB Technology Company Limited (BBtec), an integrated telecom operator in the Benchachinda Group, who has been providing cell site installation and maintenance services for dtac for more than ten years. The firm’s services include consulting, survey, design, system analysis and development, base-station construction, installations of fiber optic, exchange network infrastructure, system installations, supervision and network-system maintenance. “Signal tower construction and network-systems installations are complicated. Think of it as building a house, with several contractors for the foundation, roof, electrical systems, water system, and so on. If just one of these contractors isn’t up to standard, the whole project…

The year 2020 triggered a seismic shift in our relationship with the online world. With COVID-19, more people are working from home and connecting online with loved ones they can no longer meet in person. But just as reliance on connectivity grows, so do concerns about data privacy. “As more businesses and people moved into the digital world, we’ve seen a change in how they viewed the online environment,” said Marcus Adaktusson, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at dtac. “They are increasingly concerned about their privacy.” In Cisco’s 2020 Consumer Privacy Survey, 60 percent of respondents expressed concerns about their data being protected in the tools they are using while remote working or learning. The top three concerns were that the data will be used for unrelated purposes, that the data will be shared too broadly with third parties, and that the data will not be deleted or anonymized. Furthermore, 29 percent of those surveyed said they would switch brands due to data practices. This growing demographic of ‘privacy actives’ signals a shift in consumer attitudes globally about how their data is used and what control they have over their privacy. “Privacy issues are a growing concern for customers. But it’s often…

The COVID-19 crisis exposed major vulnerabilities in global operations and supply chains. But dtac was able to quickly localize production and implement a wide-reaching work from home policy. Tipayarat Kaewsringam, chief sales officer at dtac, spoke at the dtac Responsible Business Virtual Forum 2021, to explain how dtac achieved such resilience in its supply chain. “Digital connectivity is critical to continuing social and economic activity under lockdown restrictions and work-from-home policies. Thus dtac must provide uninterrupted services, but also ensure the safety of its employees and those who operate on behalf of the company,” she said. Resilient Operations Today, around 95 percent of dtac office employees and call center agents are able to work from home. Working from home allows them to operate during lockdowns but also reduces the risk of infections which could cause teams to be quarantined. “Even in shops, which must continue to operate as mobile operators are considered an essential service, teams are split in half and work alternate weeks. If one team is exposed and must quarantine, the other team can continue to operate,” said Ms. Tipayarat. Moreover, the Network Operation Center, located at the dtac Headquarters, is ready to relocate at alternate sites. In…