DTAC 3G Upgrade Delayed Further

[george]

DTAC 3G upgrade delayed further

BANGKOK: -- Plans by Total Access Communication (DTAC) to upgrade additional cellular base stations to provide third-generation wireless broadband on the 850-megahertz spectrum have been delayed further.

This is due to CAT Telecom's board not yet considering DTAC's request for the upgrade. The state agency's board did not bring up a request to consider the move at last week's board meeting.

DTAC requested permission from CAT late last year to upgrade 1,200 more base stations to 3G technology in addition to the 36 now covering the greater Bangkok area.

A CAT source said the state agency's management wanted DTAC to upgrade only half that number and DTAC to transfer the upgraded base stations to CAT once the upgrades were complete.

CAT has assigned its Legal Department to study whether |such a transfer is legally possible even though the bases are used to provide the 3G service on a non-commercial trial basis and not commercially.

The company has provided |3G 850MHz service on a non-commercial trial basis with CAT's permission.

DTAC chief commercial officer Thana Thienachariya said his company could wait further for permission for the additional network upgrade.

True Move, which also provides a trial 3G 850MHz non-commercial service with CAT's permission, now has 600 of the base stations: 500 in Bangkok and the rest in five major provinces.

-- The Nation 2010-03-30

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[gotlost]

It all boils down to who gets the money. In the mean time the public gets fcu?ed.

[nikster]

Only in Thailand where one mobile phone company has to ask the state owned mobile phone company (CAT, CAT CDMA) for permission to upgrade its towers. Conflict of interest, anyone?

[Cuban]

Don't you all see the brilliant logic at play here? Wait until the rest of the world has 4G in place and then buy up the 3G technology at a discount price, don't forget <edit>some</edit> other countries had 3G in service in 2001. Thailand a 'hub' of old technology at today's prices.

Edited March 31, 2010 by Cuban

[negreanu]

Been enjoying the excellent 3G service in BKK from True. Works really well especially with Tethering to the iphone.

[Gobbledoc]

3G or lack of it in Thailand is getting beyond pathetic now. I don't know what to say. The cell phone companies say they have invested many billions of baht into 2100mghz infrastructure, and are ready to have it installed and turned on, just seems to be internal fighting inside the Gov over tea money. Surly it would also open up a lot of land that currently only have really crap internet to people that desire better net.

[phazey]

Been enjoying the excellent 3G service in BKK from TOT. Works really well especially with Tethering to the iphone.

My edit reflects my thoughts.

[Gobbledoc]

Does anyone have any update to the latest from the Government when they claim they will dish out the licenses to the phone companies ?

[nikster]

Been enjoying the excellent 3G service in BKK from True. Works really well especially with Tethering to the iphone.

True either has good connections, or they just do it - but it seems they upgrade their towers without making too much fuss about it... I was pretty surprised to see 3G working in Samui.

[infernalman7]

Does anyone have any update to the latest from the Government when they claim they will dish out the licenses to the phone companies ?

It is not the government, it's the NTC.

The NTC is still setting the deadline for the auction which according to waht they claim would definitely happen this year for sure.