Thai Operators Reject Mobile Number Portability Deadline In September

[webfact]

Operators Reject Mobile Number Portability Deadline in September

BANGKOK: -- Mobile phone operators say they are not be able to meet the deadline to provide mobile number portability to consumers on September 1, as they have yet to test the system.

Preemon Pinsakul, president of Clearing House for Number Portability, which was established by mobile phone operators, said they will not able to provide mobile number portability or MNP to consumers on September 1. The National Telecommunications Commission or NTC set the date as the deadline for the mobile phone operators to provide MNP for consumers.

He added that the NTC has been informed that the mobile phone operators will conduct a test for the MNP system in September. Many scenarios will be used to test the system, and it will take three to four months before MNP will be officially available.

As for the 20,000 baht daily fine for failing to meet the deadline set by the NTC, he said the operators have yet to be informed by the NTC about it, adding that each operator may handle the fine differently. Some operators may file a lawsuit, while others may be willing to pay the fine.

Sompot Panthong, assistant manager of Wireless Communication Engineering of CAT Telecom, said providing MNP must be undertaken by all operators at the same time.

Suranan Wongwitayakamjorn, a member of the NTC board, said the mobile phone operators must provide MNP according to the deadline, as NTC gave them one year to prepare for MNP. Any operator that fails to meet the deadline will be liable to pay a minimum fine of 20,000 baht a day.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-25

[TheBarbarian]

only huge fines help. They know for a decade that the rest of the world is using number portability, they are all property of foreign corporations from the government of Singapore to that of Norway so the fact that they have been refusing to put the system in place before the deadline should be punished with a fine of 10 or 20% of their yearly turnover. Good for the ministry of finance, good for the customers.

[fstarbkk]

only huge fines help. They know for a decade that the rest of the world is using number portability, they are all property of foreign corporations from the government of Singapore to that of Norway so the fact that they have been refusing to put the system in place before the deadline should be punished with a fine of 10 or 20% of their yearly turnover. Good for the ministry of finance, good for the customers.

I agree. 20K THB a day is not enough incentive, especially if they're probably going to dodge it by filing frivolous suits to delay the fine.

Edited August 25, 2010 by fstarbkk

[kimamey]

only huge fines help. They know for a decade that the rest of the world is using number portability, they are all property of foreign corporations from the government of Singapore to that of Norway so the fact that they have been refusing to put the system in place before the deadline should be punished with a fine of 10 or 20% of their yearly turnover. Good for the ministry of finance, good for the customers.

I agree. 20K THB a day is not enough incentive, especially if they're probably going to dodge it by filing frivolous suits to delay the fine.

They will need price controls as well to stop the operators from passing the fines onto customers.

[rubl]

only huge fines help. They know for a decade that the rest of the world is using number portability, they are all property of foreign corporations from the government of Singapore to that of Norway so the fact that they have been refusing to put the system in place before the deadline should be punished with a fine of 10 or 20% of their yearly turnover. Good for the ministry of finance, good for the customers.

Thai government policy has always been to keep control of local Telecom companies in Thai hands. None is property of foreign companies, 49% rule. With the legal framework around 3G foreign (or local) investment will not come soon. As for number portability, there are still legal cases being processed for local roaming fees, TOT,CAT share, K. Thaksin's meddling to profit AIS, etc. Technically no real problem, just needs tests mainly to ensure people can be billed for number use

[rotary]

Do you really think that 49% rule work in real terms????? We all know that side deals are done by the 49% folks in all forms of business so they in effect control way more than 49% if not 100%.

[rubl]

Do you really think that 49% rule work in real terms????? We all know that side deals are done by the 49% folks in all forms of business so they in effect control way more than 49% if not 100%.

The 49% works in the sense that it deters foreign companies. To call DTAC or AIS foreign property is incorrect. Foreign controlled comes closer, but only in it's special Thai sense. What deters most is government control and influence. Changing fee sharing in cross network calls / messaging, share of CAT/TOT, etc., etc. makes companies reluctant to invest. The sudden changes by TRT (aka K. Thaksin) to favor his satellite/telecom company didn't help either.

Edited August 25, 2010 by rubl

[Piengrudee]

Who have the last laugh now?

[Thai at Heart]

Do you really think that 49% rule work in real terms????? We all know that side deals are done by the 49% folks in all forms of business so they in effect control way more than 49% if not 100%.

If the point of the 49% is to screw the consumer by deterring market entry and reducing competition, it works beautifully.

[rotary]

I am neutral in this really but even as bad as it appears sometimes the Thai mob market service is better and cheaper than some others in the world. Not saying it is the worlds best but some other places are not as good as Thailand in my humble opinion.

[Sturbuc]

Wgat do you expect as they arn't able to replace a missing SIM-card...

[rotary]

I lost my DTAC sim card for net service, went to DTAC to buy another sim card, told the girl what happened and she said whats the number.....I told her the number. Within 15 mins she handed me a new sim card with same number & told me the old SIM was no longer usable....total cost free. Try that trick in some so called major countries.

[givenall]

only huge fines help. They know for a decade that the rest of the world is using number portability, they are all property of foreign corporations from the government of Singapore to that of Norway so the fact that they have been refusing to put the system in place before the deadline should be punished with a fine of 10 or 20% of their yearly turnover. Good for the ministry of finance, good for the customers.

It is like putting money from right packet into the left one. Everything Thai government says they will do to make things better is only for show.

Don’t hold your breath. As they say the more things changes in Thailand the more stay the same

[rubl]

Who have the last laugh now?

Let's hope we can still laugh together!

[sirchai]

Who have the last laugh now?

Let's hope we can still laugh together!

My hamster's laughing all day long.

[surangw]

this situation just shows who really is in charge

[asiawatcher]

Does it really matter? Coverage across all networks varies but essentially - you do not improve your signal by changing carriers! Much todo about nothing... wasted Post.

Edited August 26, 2010 by asiawatcher

[DickFarang]

In Europe we have noticed that mobile number portability has a major disadvantage too:

From the number a customer cannot know any longer he is calling a different operator and possibly paying a higher tariff.

[SamritT]

20K per day fine? Just fire 1 junior branch manager, that will make up the 20K.

[Payboy]

20K per day fine? Just fire 1 junior branch manager, that will make up the 20K.

Are junior managers making 20k baht per day?