TOT drops case against AIS (Thailand)
The board of TOT has decided not to take legal action against Advanced Info Service (AIS) over the concession amendments.
Authorities had calculated that the illegal concession amendments cost the firm over US$2.38 billion.
As per the committee looking into the matter of compensation for the concession amendments, it is examining proposals from operators and expects to need one more week. The committee will also ask TOT and CAT to provide more details on their damage claim calculations.
TOT resumes talks with AIS (Thailand)
Thailand’s telco TOT has resumed talks with the country’s largest cellco by subscribers, Advanced Info Service (AIS), to discuss a deal under which AIS may join the existing resellers offering 3G services over TOT’s Bangkok W-CDMA/HSPA network.
AIS, which already offers 3G in the UMTS-900 band in selected areas of the country, would operate as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) under a six-month contract if a deal went through, as TOT wants to get the first stage of its national 3G network project under way not expected until around April 2011 before it signs new three-year contracts with additional MVNOs.
First phase of mobile number portability expected by the weekend (Bangkok)
The long-awaited mobile number portability (MNP) service in Bangkok is expected to be ready for a soft launch on Dec 5, 10 days before it was required.
According to Premon Pinskul, Chairman of Clearing House for Number Portability Co, but only 500 mobile phone numbers a day would initially be allowed to use the services at 25 designated service locations in Bangkok. The company was jointly established by a consortium of five private and state telecom firms: AIS, DTAC, True Move, TOT and CAT Telecom.
According to Mr Premon, who is also the deputy Chief Financial Officer of DTAC, the five operators are ready to kick off the MNP trial this Sunday to test the whole system, before launching a full version of their services throughout the country by January 2011.
The first phase will allow mobile users to keep their existing numbers when they switch operators. The second phase will cover fixed-line numbers.
Customers will be charged US$3.28 to transfer their old numbers to new operators and the switch should be completed within three working days. Customers must stay with the new operator for at least three months before making another change. Postpaid customers will be required to bring their ID cards and latest payment statements in exchange for MNP service. Prepaid customers, 90% of all users, will need to register accounts with their operators’ networks before applying for MNP.
According to Suranand Wongwittayakamjorn, a NTC commissioner, prepaid customers will not be able to transfer unused call value and validity from one operator to another because there is no regulation to support it.
As per Mr Premon, the testing variability of the operators’ clearinghouse system was minimized to pre-test the system and resolve problems step-by-step. All necessary activities related to the implementation of MNP should be completed by Dec 31.
Starting from Dec 5, each operator would limit the service to 100 customers per day at five designated service locations in Bangkok. Operators plan to increase their capacity to serve up to 500 numbers per day each, with more locations from Dec 15.
Thailand MNP set to launch on 15 December
If reports are to be believed, Thailand’s Five mobile network operators: AIS, DTAC, True Move, CAT Telecom and TOT have made a joint commitment to launch mobile number portability (MNP) on 15 December.
The group represents all the country’s cellular network operators except Hutchison CAT Wireless Multimedia, a joint venture of CAT which the state-run telco is in the process of taking full control over. End users will be able to port a number for a fee of US$3.25.
MNP enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile network operator to another.
Thai Operators Appeal MNP Fines
Three Thailand mobile operators, Advanced Info Service (AIS), TrueMove and TOT have lodged their appeal against fines the government has imposed for missing the deadline to launch Mobile Number Portability (MNP). The companies claimed that they are ready to launch the service shortly. Deputy Secretary-General of the regulator, Prasert Apipunya has confirmed the news.
The operators are presently being fined US$5,500 per day for missing the August deadline. This fine is set to double next week and increase further next month if the service is not launched. According to the previous statements by the networks, they cannot launch MNP until mid-December at the earliest.
And if the launch of the MNP is delayed until mid-December, then the theoretical fine could reach around US$1 million per network operator.
The other two operators, CAT Telecom and Total Access Communication (DTAC), are expected to submit appeals as well.
AIS, DTAC, True cleared for 3G bids; CAT aspires to block the process
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has announced that the AIS, DTAC and True Move, the three Thai Telecos which submitted the only bids for next week’s scheduled 2100MHz 3G license auctions have qualified to enter the contest.
Two licenses are up to grab a preliminary round with a starting price of US$423 million, at the same time as a third license will be put up for auction within 90 days.
However, according to reports, the state-owned CAT Telecom is planning to submit an appeal to the Central Administrative Court on Monday in an attempt to block the process. As per the report its interests will be damaged by the auction and that the NTC has no authority to offer the 3G licenses. A similar blocking lawsuit from a representative of CAT’s sister telco TOT was recently turned down by the court.
Five Bidders for the Thai 3G auction scheduled for September 28-29
Five companies bought bid documents for the 3G license auction scheduled for September 28-29 when the National Telecommunications Commission opened the sale of documents on Tuesday
According to the reports, AIS, DTAC and True Corp the three main operators of Thailand have bought bid documents for the 3G auction. The other two applicants are Samart and Loxley who operates as in MVNOs.
All the three operators bought two bid documents each AIS for itself and its subordinate AWN, DTAC for itself and its unit DTAC Internet Service, and True for its two units True Move and SK Wireless, while only one operating company from each will be able to take part.
The government has set a reserve price for a 15-year license of $403.1 million. Operators can file their bid proposals by the end of this month.
AIS has dedicated US$ 1.578 million to developing 3G services over the next three years. According to MVNO Loxley, it was in talks with an Asian company to form a possible JV to bid for a licence. The establish investment of the JV would be around US$ 0.946 million.
According to Samart President Watchai Vilailuck., Samart is considering following Loxley’s track. The company is in talks with Malaysian giant Axiata and another Asian telco over forming a JV for the purpose. The venture would have initial funding of US$ 0.631 million and about 51% would be owned by Samart’s MVNO unit Samart I-Mobile. The company would wait until the results of a feasibility study to determine whether the project would be worth its hefty price tag.
MVNO’s protest delays AIS and TOT 3G tie-ups
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Thailand’s mobile market leader Advanced Info Service (AIS) will have to wait for another four to six months before beginning the proposed data roaming service on the state enterprise’s 2100MHz 3G networks.
The decision has been taken by the board of Thai state-run telco TOT in order to give its contracted mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) some marketing leeway. AIS, operating as a small-scale 3G network using 900MHz frequency have been proposed to offer its users 3G data roaming on TOT’s 2100MHz network today for a trial period.
However, TOT has faced an outcry from the five MVNOs Loxley, Samart I-Mobile, 365 Communication, IEC International and M Consultant Corporation, who are committed to reselling services over the TOT 3G networks which launched in Bangkok in December 2009.
According to AIS chief executive Wichian Mektrakarn, Shin Corp-owned cellco had told TOT that it would cease the voice roaming service pending consultation with the National Telecoms Commission (NTC), in addition to suspending a pricing agreement with TOT under which the latter’s customers are charged THB0.60 (USD0.018) a minute for roaming instead of THB1.10.
Thailand’s 3G auction delayed until 2012
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Thailand will have to wait for its 3G auction, scheduled to take place in the second quarter, for another two years. According to Wichien Mektrakarn, CEO of the country’s leading cellular operator AIS, country’s 3G auction may not take place until 2012 since the ratification of NTC board is still unclear.
AIS has already rolled out 3G services using its existing 900 MHz spectrum in Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Hua Hin and intends to further the rollout of its 3G service in partnership with the TOT.
The delay is caused due to the failure of Royal Household in appointing the four new directors to the NTC.
