TrueMove H deal declared illegal (Thailand)
The network resale deal between CAT Telecom and True Corp known as the True Move H’ 3G was declared illegal by a Thai senate. According to reports, the senate concluded that the deal was illegal mainly on the grounds of violations of three main laws in the deal agreement. The senate has sent the findings on the breach of law are forwarded to the counter corruption commission for due consideration.
Sources claim that as per Article 46 paragraph 2 of the Frequency Allocation Act B.E. 2553 (2010) transfer of frequency is not permitted however CAT as well as True Move violated the law. According to Telecom Business Act B.E. 2544 (2001) BFKT, a subsidiary of True, had no operating license issued from the regulator and as per the Public-Private Joint Investment Act B.E. 2535 (1992) the project estimate was more than US$ 32 million. However, it was presented to the Cabinet for approval as it was required under guidelines of the Act.
Despite of all the Senate findings, CAT has dismissed all the allegations. However, CAT Telecom’s request for dismissing the case, calling it as an unnecessary practice of investigation, was rejected by the counter corruption commission.
DTAC plans 3G network roll-out by 2013 (Thailand)
Mobile network operator DTAC has announced its plans to roll out 3G services across 940 districts by the end of next year. According to reports, Jon Eddy Abdullah, CEO, DTAC has said that they plan to become a leader in 3G service through a nationwide network expansion on the analogue 850-MHz frequency, covering 940 districts by 2013.
He added that DTAC will begin testing its 4G cellular broadband in Bangkok along with CAT Telecom by May. The operator has reportedly kept US$ 1.3 billion aside for the 3G network plans of which US$ 487 million will be required for a new licence.
Abdullah also claims that he expects the regulator to grant an LTE trial licence soon and plans to launch a brief trial network by May 2012. He added that they do not plan to launch a commercial LTE network as the 30 percent revenue share, under the current terms, negatively impacts the business case.
Abdullah states that they believe Thailand could have 3G and 4G commercial service simultaneously, which other countries are already developing. Further, he assures users that all network traffic problems will be resolved once the network upgrade project is completed.
He said that if they get a 3G licence on the 2100-MHz frequency, they plan a massive network expansion mainly in Bangkok and major provinces.
TrueMove H launches 3G services in Bangkok
TrueMove H, Thailand’s third largest mobile operator launched 3G wireless broadband services in Bangkok and 16 other provinces. The company launched the service under the slogan ‘Free You’ and plans to introduce five phases at a combined cost of $831.7 million. The spectrum using the high speed packet access (HSPA) technology, will offer the company WiFi internet speed capability of 8Mbps.
As per reports, CEO of Thailand’s True Corp, Supachai Chearavanont says that True will spend $6.6 million on an initial marketing campaign for TrueMove H, expected to be launched next month. The aim is to acquire 1 million users by year end as compared to the current customer base of 1 Lac. In its aim to be the market leader in 3G services, TrueMove H faces tough competition from Advanced Info Service (AIS) and Digital Total Access Communication (DTAC).
DPC seeks LTE testing permission (Thailand)
Thai mobile operator Advanced Info Service (AIS)’s subsidiary, Digital Phone Company (DPC) has reportedly asked its build-transfer-operate (BTO) concession issuer CAT Telecom for permission to test 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband technology.
According to sources, DPC is planning to test LTE equipment from Huawei, ZTE and Ericsson. Each vendor will require permission from the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) before carrying out the tests, to be applied for in parallel to DPC’s request to CAT.
It is also reported that DPC will set aside as much as 10MHz bandwidth for the 4G trial, out of its total 12.5MHz of allocated 1800MHz spectrum. The test will be run for 90 days on seven or eight base stations in Bangkok.
Mobile operators in Thailand forge ahead despite 3G setback
A new research report has revealed that despite the delayed auctioning of 3G spectrum in Thailand, mobile operators are moving forward with their 3G plans as data services continue to be the main driver of growth.
According to sources, operators have moved forward with 3G implementation in two ways: 1) receiving approval to upgrade networks to HSPA, and 2) signing MVNO agreements with TOT. These solutions would serve as stopgap measures before the 3G auction, which could happen by early 2012.
TOT is currently the only 2.1GHz 3G operator, serving the greater Bangkok region. TOT plans to invest $648 million in HSPA to cover 50 percent of the population by mid-2011, giving TOT a head start over the competition. Data services have been the main driver of growth in the mobile market this year, which is why operators are eager to forge ahead with 3G before the auction.
According to the report, smartphone sales grew strongly at 18% from 2008 to 2010, and are expected to grow at an even higher 30% CAGR from 2010 to 2015. Along with this growth, usage of data applications like email, video, and Internet browsing will grow, as well. Data cards will exhibit the highest growth at a 63% CAGR, as 3G networks, which currently are only operated by TOT and only cover the Bangkok area, are extended to cover 50% of the population by June 2011.
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.
Thai Operators to Launch MNP in December
Thailand’s mobile network operators have confirmed that they will launch the delayed mobile number portability (MNP) service before the end of the year, but only in the capital city, Bangkok.
According to Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn, a commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the service will be available only in some service centres of the telecom operators. Therefore, during the initial phase, those in the provinces who want to keep their mobile-phone numbers when they switch networks will have to travel to Bangkok to ask for the service.
He added that the telecom operators would gradually expand the MNP service nationwide soon. They will announce the full details of the service next week.
The country’s five operators are currently appealing against fines of US$5,500 per day for missing the already delayed August deadline.
LUXE City Guides launches mobile app
LUXE City Guides, the stylist pocket travel guides is all set to release its Mobile edition for iPhone and Blackberry along with handsets from Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and HTC.
Priced at £5.99, the app comes with a year of free updates sent directly to the phone, plus a discount of 50% on the second year’s subscription. The app will cover 10 destinations initially including New York, Hong Kong, Paris, London, Shanghai, Singapore, Rome, Bali, Sydney, and Bangkok – with 20 more international destinations coming soon.
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.
