Thai mobile operator AIS (ADVANC) is set to invest $43.35mn in Lao Telecom, securing an indirect 24.01% holding in one of the leading telecoms providers in Laos, according to the Laotian Times.

The deal gives AIS a foothold in a market where internet use is still expanding. Results of the 2025 Population and Housing Census in Laos showed that 69.8% of residents aged 15 or above had internet access, out of a resident population of 7.24mn. Lao Telecom competes with Unitel, which has the backing of Vietnam's Viettel, as well as with ETL and TPlus.

AIS will not buy shares in Lao Telecom directly. Its subsidiary AIS Inter Venture will acquire 49% of Shenington Investments, a company registered in Singapore that holds 49% of the Lao operator. The Lao Government will keep its direct 51% stake.

The company made the plan public on October 21, one day after its board signed off on the transaction. The parties have yet to sign a final agreement and aim to close the deal before the end of 2026.

Gulf Space Technology, a Thai firm operating in satellite and telecoms services, will retain the other 51% of Shenington Investments. That leaves it with an indirect 24.99% interest in Lao Telecom.

Lao Telecom was established in 1996 and offers mobile and internet services nationwide. In early 2026 it counted more than 3.1mn customers across its mobile and fixed broadband businesses.