Thai AI Infrastructure: SYMPHONY CEO Alex Loh's Vision

Artificial intelligence responses appearing on screens within seconds feel effortless, yet few realize the complex layers of infrastructure data must traverse before reaching the user. This realization sparked an interview with Mr. Alex Loh, Chief Executive Officer of Symphony Communication Public Company Limited or SYMC, who has spent nearly a decade with the company. Throughout the discussion, a recurring theme emphasized by Mr. Loh was the concept of 'finding balance' between investment and available resources, between data sovereignty and innovation, and between business growth and environmental impact.

SYMPHONY has operated in Thailand's telecommunications sector for over two decades, holding a Type Three telecommunications license which applies to providers owning their proprietary network infrastructure. The company builds its own fiber optic networks, focusing primarily on Business-to-Business services for corporate clients and international connectivity. Addressing the question of how many infrastructure layers data passes through before hitting a screen, Mr. Loh noted that while AI is not entirely new, working habits transformed significantly in the five years following the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by cloud adoption and AI as future infrastructure catalysts.

What users perceive are software and tools, but backend operations require three foundational pillars working in tandem: data centers, processing hardware including storage and chipsets, and network connectivity. Mr. Loh compared data centers to buildings or airports that accommodate equipment, noting that hardware can only operate at full capacity when robust networks interconnect each facility.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Examining the foundational layer of submarine cables often viewed as the digital economy's economic lifeline, Mr. Loh explained that over 500 submarine cables worldwide function as data highways connecting Point of Presence locations across nations, operating much like commercial flights stopping at transit hubs. If data centers represent airports, submarine cables serve as flight paths connecting them. Regarding regional prospects, the company views ASEAN as a vital market, noting massive traffic growth over the past five years driven by cloud services and content, with AI poised to become the next major growth variable.