TOT confirms 3G launch in Bangkok by 2009-end

www.WirelessFederation.com/news: TOT, the Thai telecoms regulator has given approval to the 1.7-billion-baht upgrade of the state telecom enterprise’s 500 Bangkok base stations under a 20-billion-baht mobile network project to launch 3G service by 2009-end.
The upgradation of Thai Mobile’s 1900 MHz network will be done by an Ericsson/Nokia/Siemens consortium. TOT schedules the launch of 3G servcies for Bangkok for 2009-end.
Board spokesman Ratian Srimongkol confirmed that 3G service would definitely start by the end of the year and that TOT would initially be a service provider. But TOT is also ready to lease the network to operators, he said.
The upgrade of the 1900 MHz network will accommodate postpaid and prepaid services, as well as data service and billing, he further unveiled.
The nationwide phase of the project awaits cabinet approval for altering international bidding to general bidding using local fund sources, he said.
An industry source revealed that TOT would lease its 3G nationwide network to private operators to provide service rather than run the business itself.