Dtac Aims At Topspot For Iphone Sales

[george]

DTAC aims at top|spot for iPhone sales

Total Access Communication (DTAC) plans to become the top iPhone seller in 12 months after its kick-off event this past weekend at Siam Paragon saw sales of 1,897 units, almost double the target.

DTAC yesterday started offering 3G and 3GS models and three service options nationwide at 49 of its service centres, 29 iStudios, five Jay Marts and five TG Fones.

Chief commercial officer Thana Thienachariya said DTAC hoped to sell at least 100,000 iPhones this year.

True Move, the first to bring in iPhones, is targeting sales of 120,000 units this year, both 3G and 3GS models, up from 100,000 last year.

It has deployed all its telecom services - from cellular to wireless Internet and digital content, including its 3G wireless broadband network - to support iPhone sales.

DTAC is pricing its iPhones at Bt19,900 for an 8-gigabyte 3G, Bt24,500 for a 16GB 3GS and Bt28,500 for a 32GB 3GS.

If users sign up for an S, M or L monthly airtime package, they will receive a better price: Bt18,900 for the 8GB 3G, Bt22,900 for the 16GB 3GS and Bt26,400 for the 32GB 3GS.

For example, the S package costs Bt449 a month for 225 minutes of voice calls, 200 SMSs, 30 MMSs and 100 megabytes of data calls. Users will receive a free bonus of three months after nine months.

DTAC has also deployed 150 dedicated iPhone Buddies, who are trained to provide assistance to its iPhone users, in 106 distribution channels nationwide, including its service centres and its partners' mobile-phone shops.

Since most owners will want to use applications on their iPhones, they will need assistants to help them with basic use.

"The iPhone Buddies will help them be impressed with our service," he said.

The company has prepared a Bt100-million marketing budget for the iPhone.

-- The Nation 2010-03-16

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[khunjake]

iPhone 3G available now but without a 3G network?

[2008bangkok]

Unless you live right next to the BTS on lower suk then you can have true....

It makes you laugh they go all out with these 3g Iphones yet like khunjake says no 3g yet infact none of the networks have even got the 3g license yet...

[nikster]

Unless you live right next to the BTS on lower suk then you can have true....

It makes you laugh they go all out with these 3g Iphones yet like khunjake says no 3g yet infact none of the networks have even got the 3g license yet...

Sad as it is that the 3G process in Thailand seems to be at a stand-still, it's not that big of a deal. EDGE + WiFI works well enough. Yes, it's a bit slow, but you are not going to embark on hour-long browsing sessions on the tiny iPhone screen anyway. In addition, many 3G networks in the world are simply not working. E.g. AT&T in the USA. It's 3G but if you are in San Francisco or NYC, your data speeds are often below what you get here on EDGE.

The fact that that hasn't been rectified by AT&T by now indicates to me that the technology just isn't up to it. It works very well when only very few people are using it, but throw some actual usage on it and it dies a whimpering death. Of course in Thailand there'd probably be few enough iPhones to make 3G very fast...

3G in Cambodia... good luck, it's not really working. Same in Laos.

Let's hope for 4G in Thailand