Wireless Federation

TOT Plc is being encouraged to invite other countries to make investment proposals for its third-generation (3G) mobile phone network at the government-to-government level and to use open network architecture.

The open-architecture method would pave the way for a telecom-pool concept and will be a win-win model for all parties, says Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) minister.

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines open network architecture as the overall design of a communication carrier’s basic network facilities and services that permits all users to interconnect to specific basic functions on an unbundled, equal-access basis.

The great advantage of open architectures is that anyone can design add-on products for it, says Dr Sitthichai.

TOT board director and spokesman Djit Laowattana said the minister advised that investment in a 3G network should be on a government-to-government basis.

Mr Djit said the open architecture pattern also would not restrict TOT from access to technology development, technology transfer and new investors.

The minister also advised, however, that in proposing open network architecture, TOT must study all regulations and laws, even the joint private-public investment law, although in reality foreign government offering either long-term or soft loans was not considered a joint investment.

Mr Djit said that TOT had received proposals from manufacturers including Alcatel, Marubeni, ZTE and Huawei to build the 3G network.

He said that when the 3G network was complete, then all private operators could rent it from Thai Mobile for use at a low rate of just cost plus a small margin.

With such low rent, newcomers were ready to pay in exchange for access to the wide coverage of the network and Thai Mobile would obtain the rent, he said.

Mr Djit also disclosed that Thai Mobile had received proposals from DTAC and AIS for free roaming on their networks for 100,000 numbers each.

In exchange for the free roaming for Thai Mobile’s 100,000 numbers, DTAC asked for either the renting or using Thai Mobile’s two million numbers instead, he said.

Thai Mobile still has 10 million numbers remaining after it was allocated the numbers from the National Telecommunications Commission, he said.

However, he said the proposal of free roaming in exchange for using or renting two million numbers of Thai Mobile would be forwarded to the NTC for acknowledgement.

AIS also agreed to DTAC’s proposals to TOT and was ready to propose the same, he said.

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