Thai Mobile users to roam nationally with AIS

BANGKOK: -- Customers of TOT Corp Plc’s cell-phone operator Thai Mobile will be able to roam with the nationwide network of Advanced Info Service (AIS) as the two companies inch closer to a possible strategic partnership.

Vasukree Klapairee, TOT senior executive vice president, yesterday said Thai Mobile would stop investing in its network and have its 300,000 customers roam with AIS’ network this month.

Currently, only Thai Mobile customers travelling in the provinces can roam with AIS, and it has to pay a Bt2-per-minute roaming charge to the company.

Thai Mobile’s network only covers metropolitan areas.

“We’re in talks with AIS for a lower roaming rate. Thai Mobile will continue marketing the service, but on the AIS network,” he added.

AIS this week announced a Bt10-billion network-capacity expansion, which will service 16 million users – up from 15 million.

A highly placed telecom-industry source said the move was part of AIS and TOT’s plan to become strategic partners.

The source said AIS was considering offering TOT the opportunity to buy its shares to avoid criticism that it was trying to monopolise the wireless and wire-line markets.

The family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra controls leading cell-phone operator AIS, which has a 60-per-cent market share.

TOT has 3.5-million fixed-line subscribers, a 50-per-cent market share.

The partnership would boost the share value of TOT, which plans to list on the Stock Exchange of Thailand soon.

“TOT also has a plan to allocate some shares to its staff after the listing. If its share value increases, its staff are unlikely to protest AIS’ plan to form a strategic partnership,” the source said.

If the two companies become strategic partners, it is unlikely new telecom firms will enter the fray after the market is liberalised in 2006, he added.

If the partnership is sealed, AIS will also share in the benefits of Thai Mobile’s upcoming third-generation (3G) mobile-phone technology.

Vasukree said Thai Mobile had set aside a Bt1.5-billion budget to develop 3G services on its existing network.

The technology enables phones to send and receive multimedia content at speed.

--The Nation 2004-08-20

looks like thaksin tying up all the loose ends just in case he loses......he has to ensure a nice nest egg....if this happens other mobile companys will not have a chance......

Hmm George,

The AIS network is a 900Mhz GSM network and the Thai Mobile network is a 1900Mhz network, I’m wondering how they planning to do this roaming.

Probably there is only a handful telephones who can do triple band.

With kind regards,

Richard