iWorld
Thailand PM leads national committee to promote 5G development
MUMBAI: A 26-member national 5G committee has been formed with Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha as chairman to coordinate the 5G development and boost the digital economy in the country.
The committee is also tasked with mitigating obstacles regarding the recall of unused spectrum, from state agencies for the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), in exchange for compensation. It is expected to enhance cooperation between related agencies for 5G development support.
Deputy prime ministers Somkid Jatusripitak, Prawit Wongsuwon and Wissanu Krea-ngam serve as the deputy chairmen of the committee. The minister of finance, minister of tourism and the minister of education are also part of the committee.
The permanent secretary for the digital economy and society ministry serves as the director and secretary of the committee.
This committee is formed to promote vertical 5G development, ensuring optimum benefits of 5G adoption for the economy and end users. It will promote a clear roadmap for 5G adoption and infrastructure development by ensuring the participation of representatives from key ministries, said Thailand NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith.
The Covid2019 pandemic has prompted Thailand's major telecom operators to rev up deployment of 5G technologies. The country's top mobile operators are racing to deploy 5G networks at hospitals to support doctors and medical personnel to fight the virus.
“Application of 5G to public health demonstrates how digital infrastructure can have a significant impact on people's health during a major emergency,” said Buddhipongse Punnakanta, Thailand digital economy and society minister.
The digital economy and society ministry, together with Huawei Technologies Thailand, are providing AI-assisted solutions with 5G technology to hospitals in the country with the aim of enabling output diagnosis results more efficiently through a high-speed network.
Industrial organizations such as GSMA pointed out that 5G technologies are crucial in the fight against the pandemic and will be a “backbone” for the economic recovery. It is increasingly accepted in the industry that ICT and digital economy will be a major push as work resumes post pandemic.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
