3G service to be completely launched nationwide early next year

BANGKOK (NNT) -- The CAT Telecom state enterprise has decided not to wait for a 3G auction to be announced by the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) but to expedite its plan to provide high-speed 3G telephone network nationwide which is likely to be completed at the beginning of next year.

Mr Jirayut Rungsrithong, CEO of CAT, disclosed that the CAT Telecom has been permitted by the Cabinet to take over Hutch CDMA network system worth 7.5 billion THB. This is aimed to expand its 3G service coverage and connect Hutch CDMA with that of CAT. CAT’s 3G network service has already covered 51 provinces of Thailand whereas Hutch CDMA network covers 25 central provinces.

CAT has also planned to integrate CAT CDMA with that of Hutch, and to upgrade the speed for both systems via 3G network service in 25 other provinces this July onwards, making the 3G service signaling to cover all the 76 provinces. However, 3G CDMA will be ready for full service nationwide by the beginning of 2011.

The process of 3G auction under the responsibility of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) has been rescheduled many times due to some complications in details of the bidding conditions and its prices.

-- NNT 2010-05-11

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3G. Next year. Maybe. Meanwhile the rest of the world is implementing 4G. TiT

Isn't the Hutch CDMA system one of the slowest "3G" flavours?

Isn't the Hutch CDMA system one of the slowest "3G" flavours?

Its not lighting...

CDMA EV-DO Rev. A is capable of up to 3 Mbps (best case scenario).

Rev. B which likely would be a software upgrade can link multiple carriers allowing for a maxi,um download link of 14.7 Mbps

So one can assume that CDMA has some life left!

Actually there is a difference between CDMA and 3G.

If you have an normal GSM mobile and upgrade to a 3G version it will not work on the CAT CDMA network but it will work on a "normal" network. AIS, DTAC, True etc and of course the other way around.

Rev. B which likely would be a software upgrade can link multiple carriers allowing for a maxi,um download link of 14.7 Mbps

Yeah but what are the chances of multiple carriers collaborating in Thailand

Rev. B which likely would be a software upgrade can link multiple carriers allowing for a maxi,um download link of 14.7 Mbps

Yeah but what are the chances of multiple carriers collaborating in Thailand

Multiple carriers does not mean different providers, just more channels simultaneously available for one connection,

Much like increasing timeslots in GPRS/Edge connections...

Actually there is a difference between CDMA and 3G.

If you have an normal GSM mobile and upgrade to a 3G version it will not work on the CAT CDMA network but it will work on a "normal" network. AIS, DTAC, True etc and of course the other way around.

You're getting your terms mixed up. Anything that satisfies the IMT-2000 specifications qualifies as 3G. This includes CDMA EV-DO (CAT and Hutch) and UMTS/HSPA (used by TOT, True, and AIS).

Saying that there's a difference between CDMA and 3G is like saying there's a difference between oranges and citrus fruit.

Well we have no shortage of lemons...coming soon!!!! (since 2004 and I've given up waiting).

Actually there is a difference between CDMA and 3G.

If you have an normal GSM mobile and upgrade to a 3G version it will not work on the CAT CDMA network but it will work on a "normal" network. AIS, DTAC, True etc and of course the other way around.

You're getting your terms mixed up. Anything that satisfies the IMT-2000 specifications qualifies as 3G. This includes CDMA EV-DO (CAT and Hutch) and UMTS/HSPA (used by TOT, True, and AIS).

Saying that there's a difference between CDMA and 3G is like saying there's a difference between oranges and citrus fruit.

CDMA uses 1 frequency channel with a large band width which can acommodate a certain numbers of users. To increase the number of users on a cellsite the site has to have extra channels installed each on a different frequency.

GSM 3G uses multiple frequencies/channels each with 8 timeslots.

The signalling is completely different.

I spent from September 2001 to February 2003 installing the Hutch system in BKK and the provinces.

I was in New Zealand from July 2008 until June 2009 installing 3G for Vodafone.

I then retired after building mobile phone networks around the world since 1987 beginning with the TACS system in the UK for Vodafone and Cellnet, analogue amps in Chile, Mexico and Venezuela, GSM in Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the gulf, and so un into GSM 2 and 3.

But if you know more than me I bow to your superior knowledge.

Actually there is a difference between CDMA and 3G.

If you have an normal GSM mobile and upgrade to a 3G version it will not work on the CAT CDMA network but it will work on a "normal" network. AIS, DTAC, True etc and of course the other way around.

You're getting your terms mixed up. Anything that satisfies the IMT-2000 specifications qualifies as 3G. This includes CDMA EV-DO (CAT and Hutch) and UMTS/HSPA (used by TOT, True, and AIS).

Saying that there's a difference between CDMA and 3G is like saying there's a difference between oranges and citrus fruit.

CDMA uses 1 frequency channel with a large band width which can acommodate a certain numbers of users. To increase the number of users on a cellsite the site has to have extra channels installed each on a different frequency.

GSM 3G uses multiple frequencies/channels each with 8 timeslots.

The signalling is completely different.

I spent from September 2001 to February 2003 installing the Hutch system in BKK and the provinces.

I was in New Zealand from July 2008 until June 2009 installing 3G for Vodafone.

I then retired after building mobile phone networks around the world since 1987 beginning with the TACS system in the UK for Vodafone and Cellnet, analogue amps in Chile, Mexico and Venezuela, GSM in Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the gulf, and so un into GSM 2 and 3.

But if you know more than me I bow to your superior knowledge.

.. hmm can someone put this into layman's terms please?

I don't want to change my telephone number, and don't want to carry two SIM cards or two phones.

Will I have access to CAT's 3G network (sorry CDMA ) via my existing provider, or will I have to have sign up with CAT as well as AIS / DTAC / Truemove?

.. hmm can someone put this into layman's terms please?

I don't want to change my telephone number, and don't want to carry two SIM cards or two phones.

Will I have access to CAT's 3G network (sorry CDMA ) via my existing provider, or will I have to have sign up with CAT as well as AIS / DTAC / Truemove?

As far as I understand it CAT will provide 2 systems, CDMA and 3G.

They will require a CDMA mobile and a 3G mobile.

To use either system with CAT you will have to sign up with CAT though in the case of 3G if you have a 3G mobile already you will only need an extra sim card the same as if you are with an existing provider, AIS for example and want to use DTAC or Truemove.

The mobile will work but you will only be able to use one sim at a time.

.. hmm can someone put this into layman's terms please?

I don't want to change my telephone number, and don't want to carry two SIM cards or two phones.

Will I have access to CAT's 3G network (sorry CDMA ) via my existing provider, or will I have to have sign up with CAT as well as AIS / DTAC / Truemove?

As far as I understand it CAT will provide 2 systems, CDMA and 3G.

They will require a CDMA mobile and a 3G mobile.

To use either system with CAT you will have to sign up with CAT though in the case of 3G if you have a 3G mobile already you will only need an extra sim card the same as if you are with an existing provider, AIS for example and want to use DTAC or Truemove.

The mobile will work but you will only be able to use one sim at a time.

At this time there is NO number portability on mobile operators in Thailand, sorry.

Wow if I was a person that took a penny everytime that 'a full 3G service will be offered nationwide next year', I would probably be at least 8 pence richer.

It is far easier to say that by the time they get around to offering 3G licenses everyone will be interested in 4G.

.. hmm can someone put this into layman's terms please?

I don't want to change my telephone number, and don't want to carry two SIM cards or two phones.

Will I have access to CAT's 3G network (sorry CDMA ) via my existing provider, or will I have to have sign up with CAT as well as AIS / DTAC / Truemove?

As far as I understand it CAT will provide 2 systems, CDMA and 3G.

They will require a CDMA mobile and a 3G mobile.

To use either system with CAT you will have to sign up with CAT though in the case of 3G if you have a 3G mobile already you will only need an extra sim card the same as if you are with an existing provider, AIS for example and want to use DTAC or Truemove.

The mobile will work but you will only be able to use one sim at a time.

At this time there is NO number portability on mobile operators in Thailand, sorry.

Now you have me confused!

Is CAT simply rolling out EV-DO Rev.? country wide or are they going with WI-Max/LTE/whatever? My understanding is that those are all 4G solutions.

If they're going with EV-DO, than good luck finding an EV-DO mobile that also offers GSM connectivity! AFAIK CAT only EV-DO offering is the Motorola Q, at a whopping 9900 THB, and that doesn't do GSM.

Granted EV-DO is plenty fast and from my understanding a bit better technologically than the H*SPA out there. Perhaps we can get away from calling EV-DO 3G and simply "EV-DO"?

Surely if CAT become the only firm to have 3G nationwide that will destroy private companies like AIS and DTAC? As I know I dont want to be switching SIM cards when I want to make a call. I want one SIM that does it all, surely thats not asking too much is it?

Surely if CAT become the only firm to have 3G nationwide that will destroy private companies like AIS and DTAC? As I know I dont want to be switching SIM cards when I want to make a call. I want one SIM that does it all, surely thats not asking too much is it?

You do realise that if you have an EV-DO phone you can still make calls using a CAT voice plan, don't you?

How is their coverage for voice for mobile compared with say, AIS's GSM 900?

So we are faced with the choice of one service provider with great 3G coverage but crappy voice or a few others which can barely boast the opposite... great!

How is their coverage for voice for mobile compared with say, AIS's GSM 900?

So we are faced with the choice of one service provider with great 3G coverage but crappy voice or a few others which can barely boast the opposite... great!

Nationwide, with a caevat; currently you're 'roaming' on Hutch's network whilst in BKK. However, as pointed out earlier in this thread that won't be a problem much longer.

How is their coverage for voice for mobile compared with say, AIS's GSM 900?

So we are faced with the choice of one service provider with great 3G coverage but crappy voice or a few others which can barely boast the opposite... great!

Nationwide, with a caevat; currently you're 'roaming' on Hutch's network whilst in BKK. However, as pointed out earlier in this thread that won't be a problem much longer.

Nationwide there are big gaps in the system.

On the main highways, large cities, big towns and some small towns there is coverage.

On some smaller highways there will be some coverage but away from that there are big holes in the system.

Message from CEO - :: AIS InvestorRelations ::

INVESTOR RELATIONS. Search AIS site ... The largest network coverage with over 14.000 cell sites nationwide; Successfully developing three distinctive ...

investor.ais.co.th/Article.aspx?mid=100 - Cached

DTAC does not have so many as AIS but they are well over the 10,000 mark, as for True I have no real figures.

For example from Klong near to where I live there are 3 AIS cellsites, 2 DTAC cellsites, 1 True cellsite and that is it.

TOT or CAT not a sign of them and most probably never will.

3G and CDMA is great for data and perhaps video calls but I suspect it will not be near my village in my lifetime as there are perhaps 20 or 30 users in a 15 km radius and the cost of infrastructure would fail to get any decent returns and I suspect that would be correct in most of the countryside.

The cost of a cellsite depends on where it is situated which comes in as land rental costs, site acquisition and build, a tower will depend on the area to be covered, the building or container, the amount of equipment required, the link back to the switch which maybe a fibre optic cable or a microwave link depending on the terrain, power etc and maintenance.

They don't come cheap and every company likes to maximise its return on investment so if it looks as though the cost to build outweighs the expected return it just don't get done.

AIS is putting 2 and 2.5G sites in small villages as filler sites as they re-equip existing sites but I have no idea about DTAC.

Billd, that's odd....even over in Nakhon Nowhere there are 2 CAT towers within 8 or so KM of my house. Not sure about how many AIS, but I do get the full EDGE speeds when connected. It's too bad there are no real full coverage maps out there like the American carriers put out.

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/42094.php

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/38265.php

Couple of Links, suggesting end of 2010 Licenses to be issued. Believe it when I see it.

This will really open up the available land to live in this country. I was hoping if the Nov 14 were to happen the Gov would rush it through to their buddies Thai Style. Doh.......

Surely the headline should say "3G service to be completed"

or "3G service to be launched"

Completely launched does not make sense.

Forget about all the technical argy-bargy, I wonder how expensive it will be to use. Will they charge up to 1 baht a MB or something more reasonable, like .05? In my dreams.

Forget about all the technical argy-bargy, I wonder how expensive it will be to use. Will they charge up to 1 baht a MB or something more reasonable, like .05? In my dreams.

Both CAT and Hutch (the CDMA-EV-DO providers) offer unlimited monthly usage for under 1000 Baht. No data limit (although their might be fair usage clauses).

With Hutch you can even get a bunch of hours, like 100 hours for 300 Baht, again, no data limit. Good if you use it more like a back up.

TOT 3G in Bangkok has packages which include 1,2 4 or 6 GB, and you'll pay an extra 0,2 Baht/Mb (200 Baht/Gb).

3G is a terminology that spreads across different mobile network technology... If a network can achieve a certain speed level, it is deemed 3G... below that it is 2G, there are no 1G networks still opperating... 3G is not in itself a technology, like someone posted above, think of 3G as a grouping of other technologies (3G = Citrus Fruit, EVDO=Oranges or EDGE=Lemons)

CAT and Hutch opperate using a technology called CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)... it is different to the techology that DTAC, AIS, and True use, which is called GSM (Global System for Mobiles)... both CDMA and GSM are really 2G technologies, that can be upgraded to provide speeds that cross the speed barrier into 3G, but not by much...

Everywhere else in the world knows another technology, UMTS (aka WCDMA), as 3G (which is what creates so much confusion in Thailand)... because the opperators could get UMTS licences, and didn't want to throw good money at old networks to increase data capacity... they keep GSM to handle cheap voice packages, and use UMTS to handle data (with voice)...

A UMTS handset is backward compatable to GSM so long as the freequency is available in the handset... UMTS handsets are not backward compatable to CDMA... most handsets sold in Thailand are really UMTS handsets working on GSM networks... you can check your handset on the relevant manufacturers website... CDMA phones do not have a SIM card, GSM and UMTS phones have SIM cards...

You can have a base station that does only voice... and then by improve data capabiltiy by adding additional capacity (either by additional channels for additional 'carriers' to increase data speeds and cpapcity)... for wireless data, you share the data capacity with all the other users hanging off your antenna on the tower... so one person gets full speed, 2 get half each, 3 get a third each and so on... so your speed is determined by how many others are using your antenna, how much "data speed" the opperator puchased for that antenna, and how far away from the antenna you are...

For CDMA, the network components that combine to provide data capability is called EVDO, for GSM those components are called EDGE... EVDO cards (modems) in your laptop etc, only work on CDMA, EDGE cards etc only work on GSM... so you can't use an EVDO card on AIS/DTAC/True or an EDGE card on CAT/Hutch...

4G networks will use another techonolgy again, either LTE (Long Term Evolution) or WiMax...

Hope I made the techology differences understandable... I am a dumb civil guy trying to work in a high tech industry, so this is my basic understanding...

Cheers,

Daewoo