TOT 3G Launches Today

[monty]

I'm not getting it!

They clearly state 3G on the 2,1 Ghz band in Bangkok, I was of the impression that this band was not licensed yet and thus the reason that all the other operators (True, Dtac and AIS) had their trials running on existing licensed frequencies (850 and 900 Mhz)???

Or do state run providers not need any license, just go ahead and do as they please?

That indeed would be a perfect way to kill of any private operator! Monopoly all over again!

So its just another 'planned launch' and they haven't even got around to buying equipment yet. So assuming no further hiccups they might actually have ordered some gear by the end of 2010 and started building it in 2011? And it maybe it will work in 2012?

Probably correct outside Bangkok, apparently in Bangkok they have the network in place (they sure did in the Queen Sirikit Convention center area at the latest Commart a few weeks ago). Now selling the sim cards with an expected 200,000 subscribers within the next 3 months...

[Supernova]

The state agency plans to spend more than Bt20 billion on the network.

Great...

Fix my <deleted>' internet!

Investing some of that money on internet infrastructure wouldn't be such a bad idea.

[David006]

Blackberry Supply a 3G Network throughout Thailand, 650 Baht Monthly Unlimited Use / Download/ with Other Packages Available. I use it on a Blackberry Storm Since 5 Months ago from Down South to the North have never been with out service.

Leigh1979:Had a good google on this.....seems WAP technology used by the Blackberry Storm is AIS ( Blackberry does not own any wireless network) which does not have G3 ... your probably using GPRS and WIFI where available...

Thanks for the "heads up" though. Looks a great product especially as it is quadband.

cheers

david

Edited December 4, 2009 by David006

[ironhut]

I've been using an experimental 3G internet in Thailand with one of the top phone carrier's aircards (utilizing their SIM card) in my laptop. Am also using same procedure with the SIM in my home router.

Results are WAY better than any other internet I've used in my three years in THAILAND.

I'm very happy.

Problem for the rest of you is that everyone wants a piece of the 3G pie...thus delaying implementation. In other words, there are many, many levels of people being paid for phone and internet services with multiple systems, networks, equipment providers, and carriers. If THAILAND throws the switch to 3G, then only a few top carriers would be benefactors and the also-rans would have nothing. As much pressure as there is to implement 3G, there is much more pressure NOT to implement 3G...for fear that many, many more would be at a loss when the big 3G guys come in. It's almost like preventing a Walmart from entering a community for fear of the multiple small business owners having to fold...even though the whole community (minus the small business owners) would become benefactors.

[khunjake]

So while TOT launches 3G they take down their DSL network? Been down with no DSL service for 3 days now in Phuket. Using DTAC GPRS since Tuesday now. Can't get anyone at TOT to even come to look at the problem too. "Tommorrow technician come." that was on Wednesday!

[nikster]

So while TOT launches 3G they take down their DSL network? Been down with no DSL service for 3 days now in Phuket. Using DTAC GPRS since Tuesday now. Can't get anyone at TOT to even come to look at the problem too. "Tommorrow technician come." that was on Wednesday!

That's just standard TOT "service". Nothing new there.

[nikster]

I'm not getting it!

They clearly state 3G on the 2,1 Ghz band in Bangkok, I was of the impression that this band was not licensed yet and thus the reason that all the other operators (True, Dtac and AIS) had their trials running on existing licensed frequencies (850 and 900 Mhz)???

Or do state run providers not need any license, just go ahead and do as they please?

As far as I know, TOT bought out ThaiMobile, which has some sort of 3G spectrum concessions. I thought ThaiMobile had just a 2G license but on a frequency band interesting for 3G ~2000Mhz.

Googled for a bit but couldn't really find all the details. But that's how I think they're getting away with it.

That, and the fact that they are state owned and the post-Thaksin government policy seems to be to solve the Temasek problem by killing AIS.

It's shaping up to be a takeover of the mobile phone industry by government cronies. The handing of the torch from Thaksin-owned AIS, if you will. TOT builds the infrastructure, a handful of "friends" of the powers that be start MVNOs, and soon AIS will be only one amongst many fighting for the pie, and probably either not have a 3G license, or have one that was so expensive that they'll go out of business soon. Brilliant. The only hiccup is that TOT and co. are so incompetent that people may vote with their feet...

Edited December 4, 2009 by nikster

[monty]

As far as I know, TOT bought out ThaiMobile, which has some sort of 3G spectrum concessions. I thought ThaiMobile had just a 2G license but on a frequency band interesting for 3G ~2000Mhz.

Googled for a bit but couldn't really find all the details. But that's how I think they're getting away with it.

It seems that the Bangkok network is operated by SAMART (SIM, one of the 5 partners) and they are using the 1900 Mhz band on wich ThaiMobile has a license.

No service on the 2,1 Ghz band until licenses are awarded.

[Nana]

I read in either Bangkokpost or The Nation sometime last year that, out of the 3 main players, it was only AIS and Dtac that had frequencies that could be used for 3G.

Was a little suprised to see that True now is offering a trial 3G. After doing a little googling it seems like CAT have given True the go ahead to use Dtac's 850MHz for the trial.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/econom...al-rankles-dtac

In the article "Dtac is threatening to take legal action against third-ranked True Move and its concession holder CAT Telecom, saying the two parties violated the terms of its existing concession."

Have anyone heard more of this.

If True where to run a full 3G service on this frequency, it would surely effect the network performance for Dtac's customers.

Nana

[SoMeOnEnUlL]

Sorry for being ignorant.. What is MVNOs? A company that doesn't own network? Why TOT need them? Are they like selling things for TOT? And why have I never heard of them before? It's really confusing..

[nikster]

Sorry for being ignorant.. What is MVNOs? A company that doesn't own network? Why TOT need them? Are they like selling things for TOT? And why have I never heard of them before? It's really confusing..

MVNO is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. A company that leases the network from somebody, and sells mobile phone service on top of it.

We have it all over Europe, there are many little pre-paid operators that work this way. There were some in the USA too, but most of them have folded.

TOT is doing it to spread the risk: If TOT messes up the end user business side of things (more than likely, given the incompetence of the company and the fact that they never did this before) then the MVNOs can come to the rescue. Also because there are a few of them, they can all try different business models, and let the market decide which works best. Each is a separate mobile phone operator, competing with the others, leasing the infrastructure from TOT. And TOT can sit back and make money no matter which business model wins.

[SoMeOnEnUlL]

Sorry for being ignorant.. What is MVNOs? A company that doesn't own network? Why TOT need them? Are they like selling things for TOT? And why have I never heard of them before? It's really confusing..

MVNO is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator. A company that leases the network from somebody, and sells mobile phone service on top of it.

We have it all over Europe, there are many little pre-paid operators that work this way. There were some in the USA too, but most of them have folded.

TOT is doing it to spread the risk: If TOT messes up the end user business side of things (more than likely, given the incompetence of the company and the fact that they never did this before) then the MVNOs can come to the rescue. Also because there are a few of them, they can all try different business models, and let the market decide which works best. Each is a separate mobile phone operator, competing with the others, leasing the infrastructure from TOT. And TOT can sit back and make money no matter which business model wins.

It's all clear now. Thanks a lot.

[khunron13]

This makes perfect Thai sense. AIS, the distributor of the iPhone and one of the most popular carriers is not given a license for 3G. What else can I say, but Amazing Thailand.

[monty]

This makes perfect Thai sense. AIS, the distributor of the iPhone and one of the most popular carriers is not given a license for 3G. What else can I say, but Amazing Thailand.

Sorry, True is the distributor for the iPhone, and they have 3G in a rather big area in Bangkok...And apparently very soon in Hua Hin as ell.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

I just got me one of them i-Mobile/Samart SIM cards today. The 3G one. And so far i have to say at least on the phone (Samsung L700, my test phone) the internet is absolutely flying. However i didn't hook it up to the computer yet, have to find out how to do that first.

The network detected is "ACT 1900" however once logged on it shows "TOT Mobile". The first bit gives the frequency away - yes, it's running on 1,900 MHz and this is indeed the (former) "Suthep Net" a.k.a. "Thai Mobile".

Apparently they have a roaming agreement for voice and SMS with AIS so outside of Bangkok the phone would switch to AIS. I only got the SIM today so couldn't test that yet.

About the confusion here, "3G" stands indeed for "3rd Generation". Thailand has had 3G for some time - Hutch's and CAT's EV-DO service is also 3G, although a different standard (CDMA) while what you usually call "3G" is actually "UMTS" (Universal Mobile Telephony Standard) and it is, technically, not even GSM but also CDMA - wide-band CDMA in fact (W-CDMA) as opposed to the narrow-band "real" CDMA as in Hutch and CAT.

Now i am getting closer to having them all - already on GSM (D-TAC, True), CDMA (Hutch, CAT) and 3G (TOT). And nope, i boycott AIS.

Best regards......

Thanh

[infernalman7]

This makes perfect Thai sense. AIS, the distributor of the iPhone and one of the most popular carriers is not given a license for 3G. What else can I say, but Amazing Thailand.

It is not because they were not given the license, it was because the license's' were not given to any of the private telcos so far. Yes, not even DTAC and True Move or any other operators. The reason that TOT can launch their 3G first is simply because they pre-own the frequency spectrum (and of-course things were made much easier because the owner of TOT is the Ministry of ICT)

3G spectrum auction process was turned down because of "lack of fairness" to Thai businesses. (They consider AIS and DTAC foreign)

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello again.

So now i already had my "pleasure" with the non-service of TOT. So they DO have people in the cal lcenter who can speak English, and rather well, too.... now if only they would know hat they are talking about..??

After the internet access was configured by a guy at the i-Mobile booth yesterday evening, however i noticed the MMS would not work. Naturally, it requires it's own access as always with that backwards GSM and related standard. So i need that access, no?

Neither i-Mobile's nor TOT's website give any information whatsoever so i called the call center. Got someone who could speak English (female) and was full of hope - however after close to half an hour (!) later i am exactly where i was before, plus one bit of knowledge - TOT (or is that i-Mobile??) staff speak English but know absolutely nothing about their products.

The access point apparently is something like "3G MMS" but that girl had no idea if it is upper-case or lower-case letters (she was puzzled as what the difference would be, after dumbing it down to "big or small" her reply was actually "up to you"!) and if there needs to be a space between "3G" and "MMS", she gave up at that point and told me to contact Samsung! By that time we been through the exact same set of questions a number of times with her having no idea what to say, putting me on hold for minutes at a time and coming back with different answers to the same question 3-4 times.

Utterly useless.

So now i am supposed to "contact Samsung" who no doubt will tell me to "contact i-Mobile". Or TOT. Or Thaksin, pardon Takki. Or maybe Ho Chi Minh..?

Instead i chose to come here and ask - as some people here apparently use it already, do YOU use MMS and if so, how to configure it..? Anyway neither of the following yields any success: 3GMMS, 3G MMS, 3G mms, 3Gmms, 3gmms, 3g mms. So there must be something missing, the error i get is always "sending failed" and receiving fails similarly with a message stating "You have been subscribed to MMS. Your code for web access is EAVN" but not even including a link for that mentioned web access. AIS and D-TAC yield that exact same message when receiving an MMS while the phone is not set up to receive MMS yet.

Oh and before you suggest it - no, i did not run out of credit, there is more than 200 Baht in the card still.

Kind regards.....

Thanh

[phazey]

I think the best thing to do is wait until some kind forum user with an i-mobile phone copies their settings and posts them here. I've just done a bit of google <deleted> and nothing comes up. The i-mobile website is beyond useless.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

I would also need the "dial-up number" to hook up the thing to a computer. I am running Linux on both my desktops as well as the laptop and it is intelligent enough to give me pre-configured access to AIS, D-TAC and TRUE as soon as i connect the phone via cable - however there is (obviously) no TOT 3G as that network is just brand new. An example for such "dial-up number" would be *99# as it is for AIS, or *777 as it is for Hutch.

Kind regards.......

Thanh

[phazey]

Hi.

I would also need the "dial-up number" to hook up the thing to a computer. I am running Linux on both my desktops as well as the laptop and it is intelligent enough to give me pre-configured access to AIS, D-TAC and TRUE as soon as i connect the phone via cable - however there is (obviously) no TOT 3G as that network is just brand new. An example for such "dial-up number" would be *99# as it is for AIS, or *777 as it is for Hutch.

Kind regards.......

Thanh

It's *99#, or *99,,,,1# - they are universal across providers.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

Yeah just got back from another trip to Central World, according to them "Linux not support" and "must use USB stick"..... i don't think so. However they were unable to give me the required details - "live" staff has the exact same ability to describe their products as the call center staff non, that is. However they has a laptop there with one such USB stick so i asked to dig into it's settings which they kindly allowed, and the required number turned out to be *99***1#.

Great.

Back home - nope, doesn't work the least bit. I have two phones to test with, a Samsung L700 and a Samsung U800. The L700 keeps resetting itself when i try to establish a connection through the laptop, the U800 does not reset itself however won't go online either. It probably is a matter of fiddling with some obscure settings that i know nothing about - being a Linux user does NOT automatically mean being a geek

And regarding the MMS issue, their answer was plain and simple - "Can not. Service will start in January". Accepted. After all the network IS new.

Kind regards.......

Thanh

[phil2]

Hi.

Yeah just got back from another trip to Central World, according to them "Linux not support" and "must use USB stick"..... i don't think so. However they were unable to give me the required details - "live" staff has the exact same ability to describe their products as the call center staff non, that is. However they has a laptop there with one such USB stick so i asked to dig into it's settings which they kindly allowed, and the required number turned out to be *99***1#.

Great.

Back home - nope, doesn't work the least bit. I have two phones to test with, a Samsung L700 and a Samsung U800. The L700 keeps resetting itself when i try to establish a connection through the laptop, the U800 does not reset itself however won't go online either. It probably is a matter of fiddling with some obscure settings that i know nothing about - being a Linux user does NOT automatically mean being a geek

And regarding the MMS issue, their answer was plain and simple - "Can not. Service will start in January". Accepted. After all the network IS new.

Kind regards.......

Thanh

Can you elaborate on the amount you paid for the sim, and the various packages they have on offer?

I think Ubuntu has the 3G settings already. I haven't tried it yet, but I guess it's supposed to recognize your modem / phone.

Thanks.

Edited December 7, 2009 by phil2

[Thanh-BKK]

Good morning.

Yes it is Ubuntu that i use and no, it does not have those settings available. It does recognise the phone as a modem however the only settings it offers are AIS, D-TAC and True. I have just tested it with the same phone (Samsung U800) with a D-TAC SIM card and that works just fine, although quite slow - 0.21 Mbps down, 0.03 Mbps up to a server in Bangkok. But it DOES work.

I am right now hunting down a driver for the Samsung L700 for Windows to test if i can get the 3G on my boyfriend's (Windows) laptop, then i'll report again.

As to the SIM card, i got the pre-paid version. The SIM cost 99 Baht and it includes 50 Baht credit for air time. Mine is the "i-Mobile 3GX" which uses TOT's network obviously. The costs on pre-paid are as follows:

Air time (voice call): 1.00 Baht/min to all networks

Air time (video call): 1.50 Baht/min (works only to another 3G network)

Data: 0.50 Baht/megabyte

SMS: 2.00 Baht (to all networks)

Top-up is available as follows:

50 Baht (5 days)

100 Baht: 10 days

300 Baht: 30 days

500 Baht: 60 days

Grace period (number will expire after this time if not topped up): 7 days only

Also, judging by the leaflet, it appears that outgoing calls and SMS are not available when the phone roams on AIS which would be a bummer, but then i have more than enough phones and got this SIM only because i like to experiment with new stuff

Post-paid is available in several packages, details as follows:

3GX 199: 199 Baht/month, includes 199 minutes of air time for voice and video calls and 199 MB worth of data, additional air time is 0.50 Baht/min voice (1.50 Baht/min when roaming on AIS), 1.00 Baht/min video, 0.20 Baht/MB data, SMS 1.00 Baht each also when roaming.

3GX 399: 399 Baht per month, rest as above just replace "199" with "399".

3GX 699: 699 Baht per month, rest as above just replace "199" with "699".

They also have post-paid data packages, details as follows:

3GX Net 199: 199 Baht per months, air time (voice) 1.50 Baht/min (also when roaming on AIS), air time (video) 2.00 Baht/min, SMS 2.00 Baht each (also when roaming on AIS), data 1,000 megabytes included, each additional megabyte 0.20 Baht.

3GX Net 399: 399 Baht/month, rest as above, data included 2,500 megabytes.

3GX Net 599: 599 Baht/month, rest as above, data included 4,000 megabytes

3GX Net 799: 799 Baht/month, rest as above, data included 6,000 megabytes.

I will report again once that HUGE Samsung software package is downloaded and installed on the other machine and i tested if i can get the 3G online there.

Best regards......

Thanh

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello again.

After some fiddling i got it online on Windows - the key is the fact that, using one of the pre-configured ISP's (AIS, D-TAC, True) and modifying the dial-up number (pretty much the only item, apart from the APN, that can be modified) won't work - however on Windows i had the option to create a new one with choosing "other" in both country and ISP.... no such option on Ubuntu (grr!) and got it online with the L700.

Speed-wise i am disappointed though - granted that phone doesn't have HSDPA however the much-hyped 3G without that "turbo" isn't all that fast..... 0.40 mbps down, 0.36 mbps up to a server in Bangkok.

Maybe i'll have to get a phone with HSDPA and try again

Best regards.....

Thanh

[monty]

Speed-wise i am disappointed though - granted that phone doesn't have HSDPA however the much-hyped 3G without that "turbo" isn't all that fast..... 0.40 mbps down, 0.36 mbps up to a server in Bangkok.

Maybe i'll have to get a phone with HSDPA and try again

Thanh

Well, the specifications of the phone clearly indicated that it will only deliver 384 kbps on 3G (UMTS), so it's performing right at the max it is capable of!

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_l700-2435.php

[monty]

Why don't you try the U800 you say you have?

That one will do HSDPA up to 3,6 Mbps!

http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_u800_soul_b-2389.php

-----EDIT-----

Not sure, I just notice it seems to be only doing 2100 Mhz where your ToT sits on 1900 Mhz

[InterestedObserver]

Blackberry Supply a 3G Network throughout Thailand, 650 Baht Monthly Unlimited Use / Download/ with Other Packages Available. I use it on a Blackberry Storm Since 5 Months ago from Down South to the North have never been with out service.

How can that be since no 3G licenses have been issued to date. Me thinks you are misinformed.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi.

The U800 did roughly that same speed, i didn't know it is capable of HSDPA. I did test it.... but didn't go faster. Maybe pre-paid is speed restricted? I wouldn't wonder if that was the case, i.e. "no HSDPA for pre-paid". As the phone clearly supports UMTS on 1,900 MHz it should support HSDPA there, too.

Still wondering about the D-TAC which did connect via Edge ("E" shown on the top of the display, instead of "G" if it was only normal GPRS) but was still dog slow.

Best regards......

Thanh

[monty]

Thanh, what is showing in the display (of both phones) when the ToT simcard is in there?

Normally when HSDPA is detected an H should appear (instead of G for GPRS and E for Edge).

I'm not sure if an U appears if only UMTS is available...

I'm thinking that maybe the phone supports UMTS on the 3 GSM frequencies (900, 1800 and 1900), but the faster HSDPA only on 2100 Mhz.

I'm saying this because everywhere I check it clearly states that this phone only can do HSDPA on 2100 Mhz...

[joncl]

Still wondering about the D-TAC which did connect via Edge ("E" shown on the top of the display, instead of "G" if it was only normal GPRS) but was still dog slow.

The speeds you mention above are slower than my AIS GPRS running on an old moto here under Ubuntu, so I would suspect they have not enabled / provisioned your SIM for the service yet.