3G News & Developments

[skippybangkok]

The author is Don Sambandaraksa. I suspect he knows a bit more about the local telecomms scene than you? Or those imbeciles at TrueMove.

I suspect so, but that would mean your miles behind both of us. Non of the claims you have made so far have any underlying facts, and in most countries including Thailand, it would be considered slander.

Having an internet connection and re-posting other peoples write ups does not make you a critic

Edited May 9, 2012 by skippybangkok

[skippybangkok]

Everyone knows the CAT-True deal(s) were "shady"; nothing is really illegal here.

Obviously only you. State your evidence / facts......... as usual, just slander and ka-waffle. Dare you to state the "facts" which would stand up in court.

I still find it amazing that True is still not paying CAT any concession fees for 3G! Now wonder CAT is considering dropping TrueMove H as a reseller.

LOL....... you show your ignorance, you dont even understand the deal. Did Hutch pay " concession fees "?........... Absolutely not, it was not a concession , rather a JV which required cabinet approval.

Just stick to re-posting other peoples stuff, at least it makes you look like an expert.

Edited May 9, 2012 by skippybangkok

[lomatopo]

I suspect so, but that would mean your miles behind both of us. Non of the claims you have made so far have any underlying facts, and in most countries including Thailand, it would be considered slander.

Having an internet connection and re-posting other peoples write ups does not make you a critic

I do not present myself as a critic, merely an observer. Posting other people's write-ups, as you have done, is hardly unique to forums like this where the goal is sharing of information.

I do not make any claims, rather I make observations and share opinions. As far as I know we are not required to support all observations and opinions with "facts". Clearly you drop all sorts of ideas, observations, opinions without any sort of apparent expertise or "facts". By the way, that is fine.

I am not familiar with slander laws here but your implication that the CEO of DTAC paid for an article to be written would appear to be more slanderous as it identifies an individual and accuses him of a misdeed?

Obviously only you. State your evidence / facts......... as usual, just slander and ka-waffle. Dare you to state the "facts" which would stand up in court.

LOL....... you show your ignorance, you dont even understand the deal. Did Hutch pay " concession fees "?........... Absolutely not, it was not a concession , rather a JV which required cabinet approval.

Just stick to re-posting other peoples stuff, at least it makes you look like an expert.

Since when is this forum operating under the rules of a "court"?

And what the heck is a "ka-waffle"? Or a "doll-up" for that matter? (I'm thinking you meant "kerfuffle"? And maybe dollop?, neither of which were used in even the remotely applicable context.)

Dare me? What is this 3rd grade (Prathom Som for you)? I double-dare you?

Anyway, I am glad something makes me look like an "expert".

Clearly you have a strong emotional attachment to TrueMove H, perhaps it is even more than that? In any event, you should maybe just step back, take a deep breath, try to relax and not take things so personally. Unless the moderators tell me I have violated the rules I will feel comfortable to re-posting articles, offering critical commentary and even winding you up, all without any "facts", or "expertise".

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Loma, re your answer to me above...

About news article you posted and its reference to a price cap of 1 baht per minute for AIS and DTAC, needless to say, there's a night and day difference between the article's reference to a CAP and your subsequent correcting reference to a price FLOOR, meaning lower limit.

If your description is the correct one, then the wording in the article -- will soon be faced with a 0.99 baht per minute maximum price cap for voice calls -- seems horribly incorrect. More Thailand journalism at its finest...

As for buying SIMs, yes, I also went first to the fancy True shop up on the 3rd or 4th floor of Paragon where they also have their True Coffee cafe and Internet stations, and they said I couldn't buy SIMs there, and directed me to the 3rd floor Digital Gateway True Move shop across the street, where as I said, they were selling True SIMs like crazy.

Edited May 9, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[lomatopo]

Loma, re your answer to me above...

About news article you posted and its reference to a price cap of 1 baht per minute for AIS and DTAC, needless to say, there's a night and day difference between the article's reference to a CAP and your subsequent correcting reference to a price FLOOR, meaning lower limit.

If your description is the correct one, then the wording in the article -- will soon be faced with a 0.99 baht per minute maximum price cap for voice calls -- seems horribly incorrect. More Thailand journalism at its finest...

As for buying SIMs, yes, I also went first to the fancy True shop up on the 3rd or 4th floor of Paragon where they also have their True Coffee cafe and Internet stations, and they said I couldn't buy SIMs there, and directed me to the 3rd floor Digital Gateway True Move shop across the street, where as I said, they were selling True SIMs like crazy.

Actually, upon re-reading I have definitely misinterpreted the article. I think I understand the implication being that the pro-TrueMove member of the NBTC has somehow proposed or perhaps implemented a price cap on both AIS and DTAC, so that that most they can charge is 1 baht/minute. Obviously this limits the numbers and type of packages they can offer, puts some revenue pressure on them, and since it was not applied to TrueMove, gives them a competitive advantage. Not sure when this needs to be implemented by, but hopefully the NBTC will give AIS and DTAC some time? My current Happy plan is 0.99 baht/min all networks, all the time.

Apologies, from the "expert".

BTW, I did try to buy a TrueMove H pre-paid SIM at the gigantic True shop in Seacon and was turned away.

re-posting of articles follows:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Advanced-Info-Service-30175839.html

Bt0.99/min price cap for average or every minute? Management anticipates that the NBTC's planned Bt0.99/min price cap will apply to an average minute, not for each minute, so won't have much impact on ADVANC, as its current average charge/minute is Bt0.7-0.8/min. The NBTC said it wanted flexible rather than fixed tariff pricing.

New Regulations that Bite (CIMB report April 12, 2012)

While still a Neutral, the sector has turned less attractive after the NBTC imposed the price cap and said it intends to cut the MTR by half. Still, we refrain from downgrading due to: 1) strong domestic consumption, and 2) the regulator’s poor enforcement track record. Our top pick is DTAC.

What Happened

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) issued the mobile price cap regulation on 3 Apr. It also expressed a strong intention to lower the mobile termination rate (MTR) to THB0.5 per minute from THB1. The price cap regulation limits the ceiling rate for mobile voice calls to THB0.99 per minute, applicable to every single minute of a call. Only AIS and DTAC are required to comply with this rule given that they are Significant Market Power (SMP) operators. The NBTC expects True Move to negotiate the THB1 MTR with AIS and DTAC. If the talks fail, current regulations allow the NBTC to impose an interim MTR of THB0.5 per minute.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) issued the mobile price cap regulation on 3 Apr. It also expressed a strong intention to lower the mobile termination rate (MTR) to THB0.5 per minute from THB1. The price cap regulation limits the ceiling rate for mobile voice calls to THB0.99 per minute, applicable to every single minute of a call. Only AIS and DTAC are required to comply with this rule given that they are Significant Market Power (SMP) operators.

OK, so now we're back to something that's in line with the version of the original article that you posted... Thanks for clarifying and correcting your earlier post.

I must say though, it still seems a bit confusing. The first quote you included above appears to be talking about an AVERAGE pricing cap on minutes...while the subsequent CIMB report you posted/quoted pretty clearly seems to be talking about an actual PER MINUTE pricing cap.

As I mentioned/posted above, when I was looking at the DTAC web site and their various pricing plans the other day, they seemed to be all over the board... And I didn't have the impression in reviewing those that they were in keeping with an actual per minute pricing cap of 1 baht.

Also, the CIMB report you quoted above talks about the pricing reg being issued on April 3. But it didn't appear to make any mention of when the supposed implementation date would be for that requirement.

Edited May 9, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[skippybangkok]

Winding me up.. Lol... Don't flatter yourself. You just make your self look stupid to those who know the industry by posting garbage with no supporting facts. ( I mean your own posts, re- posted articles look of course more credible )

[lomatopo]

CAT men to face NACC over 3G deal with True

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation May 9, 2012 1:00 am

The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) will on May 28 call in some CAT Telecom officials involved in that state agency's 3G deals with True Corp to inform them that they may have broken the law. An NACC subcommittee concluded yesterday that some laws and regulations had possibly been breached in connection with the deals. But the subcommittee declined to disclose the names of possible offenders.

Methee Klongkaew, chairman of the NACC subcommittee in charge of the probe into the deals, said they may have breached the 1992 Public-Private Joint Venture Act, the 2010 Frequency Allocation Law, and Article 157 of the Criminal Code.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/CAT-men-to-face-NACC-over-3G-deal-with-True-30181550.html

[lomatopo]

Ex-CAT CEO in firing line of corruption probe

May 09, 2012

telecomasia.net

Earlier, CAT announced that it was refusing to invest in a joint number portability company to increase capacity beyond the token 2,500 numbers a day to stop TrueMove H (3G) porting numbers from TrueMove (2G).

This was viewed as a move by current CAT management to distance itself from the True deal and stop revenue erosion as 30% revenue share subscribers are shifted to the cheaper 3G model.

To date, all the investigations have been focused on CAT and in particular former CAT CEO Jirayuth Roongsrithong and no allegations have been levelled at True. True’s CEO Supachai Chearavanont has expressed his confidence many times to the media and so far it is business as usual at the operator.

[lomatopo]

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/nbtc-introduces-draft-regulation-on-infrastructure-sharing

NBTC introduces draft regulation on infrastructure sharing

Monday 14 May 2012 | 20:17 CET | News

The Thai National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has come up with a new draft regulation which states that telecommunications infrastructure must be shared throughout the system, reports the Bangkok Post. The new rule will have both voluntary and compulsory features for infrastructure owners, essentially TOT and CAT Telecom. Authorities will give owners of key infrastructure such as mobile towers and fibre-optic networks preferential pricing on their licence fees if they decide to comply voluntarily. Either way, the regulation will require infrastructure owners to allow access and use by other parties. NBTC's telecommunication committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan said the rule will encourage both TOT and CAT Telecom to share their infrastructure networks with both existing and new telecommunication operators. One condition of the licence to act as a telecommunication facilitator is that licence holders must waive their right to bid for new frequency allocations and may rent infrastructure only to type-3 telecommunication operators. NBTC rules stipulate type-3 operators are those that provide service without having their own networks. Malisuwan said the draft is scheduled to be submitted to the NBTC's 2,100 MHz auction committee for approval on 15 May. He added that the NBTC plans to hold a public consultation on the draft this month and that the regulation will take effect in July. One incentive for telecommunication facilitators is that the annual fees charged by the NBTC will be lower than before. The NBTC has urged both TOT and CAT to hold talks with their concession holders about network cooperation before the expiry of their contracts. TOT and Advanced Info Service are already in talks about collaborating after the latter's concession expires in 2015. Malisuwan said the infrastructure sharing regulations will benefit the auction of 3G and 4G mobile licences, as tower cooperation licences will enable mobile operators roll out services quickly. He said the framework will help encourage new players to participate in the 3G licence auction due to take place by September.

[lomatopo]

TOT ordered to draw up new 3G plan

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation May 15, 2012 1:00 am

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Anudith Nakornthap yesterday ordered TOT Corp to revise its 3G business plan in an effort to halt its financial losses.

At a hastily arranged meeting, Anudith told TOT's board to submit a new plan within four days to a committee of the State Enterprise Policy Office. The committee is scheduled to meet on FridayMay...

http://www.nationmul...n-30181969.html

TOT has so far installed only 2,000 3G base stations. It hopes to launch a nationwide 3G commercial service from 5,200 base stations next month. The state also plans 3G co-site network deals with private mobile operators for more than 1,000 base stations. It currently has nearly 200,000 3G subscribers, 140,000 of the total came from the five MVNOs and the remaining 60,000 from its own subscriber base. The minister said TOT needs to talk with its concessionaire Advanced Info Service to find a resolution on the mobile network purchase before the private operator's concession expires in 2015.

TOT initially targeted 2.5 million subscribers this month. Its 3G revenue was 14 times lower than originally planned.

The parent also faces pressure from a law requiring it and its sister agency, CAT Telecom, to repatriate all concession-related revenue and services related to frequencies to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission after the law has been in effect for three years. This condition means that from Dec 20, 2013, TOT will no longer be able to book concession revenue in its financial statement. This will have a massive impact on TOT, considering the 19 billion baht in concession revenue paid by Advanced Info Service last year.

Edited May 15, 2012 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

3G auction to offer nine 5MHz slots

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation May 16, 2012 1:00 am

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC)'s 2.1-gigahertz spectrum management subcommittee yesterday finalised the 3G spectrum licence auction method, dividing the spectrum into nine slots, each containing 5 megahertz of bandwidth.

Settapong Malisuwan, chairman of the NBTC telecom committee, said yesterday the subcommittee has decided to cap the total bandwidth available to each bidder at 20MHz. The NBTC owns a total of 45MHz of bandwidth on the 2.1GHz spectrum.

The NBTC will auction the spectrum using the simultaneous ascending bid method, which allows participants to bid for all spectrum lots at the same time. Bidders can continue to place higher bids until the auction ends. Many countries use this simple method.

Cash-rich bidders are expected to be able to afford to grab the maximum 20MHz bandwidth.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/3G-auction-to-offer-nine-5MHz-slots-30182089.html

[lomatopo]

CAT union asks board to approve 3G-service funding

USANEE MONGKOLPORN

THE NATION May 25, 2012 1:00 am

CAT Telecom's labour union has urged the state agency's board to approve a Bt7.83-billion budget for the state agency to continue its My brand third-generation cellular broadband service, which is expected to be CAT's main source of revenue in future. The union made the request to the board yesterday. Information and Communica-tions Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap will meet with CAT's board of directors today to discuss problems related to the agency's 3G business.

CAT has pinned its hopes on My becoming its main revenue stream. The state agency submitted to the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) a budget request of Bt12 billion to invest in related infrastructure and marketing activities. Of the total budget, CAT plans to spend Bt7.83 billion on further developing the My service. However, the NESDB declined to approve the budget, recommending that CAT submit the budget request to the Cabinet first.

The union believes that the board has the authority to approve the Bt7.83-billion budget, and should do so to prevent damage |to CAT.

According to the union, the lack of a budget for the My service would cause damage to the state agency by, among other things, leaving it unable to procure SIM cards and 3G mobile phones to woo new customers, making it impossible for it to meet its revenue target.

The My service has about 50,000 customers.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/CAT-union-asks-board-to-approve-3G-service-funding-30182768.html

[lomatopo]

CAT and True in talks to tide over 3G deal problems

USANEE MONGKOLPORN

THE NATION May 28, 2012 1:00 am

CAT Telecom and True Corp have entered into talks to jointly find a way out of the problems faced by their 3G service business partnership deals. CAT chief executive officer Kitisak Sriprasert said their talks also covered how to deal with TrueMove's concession, which ends next September. TrueMove - True's cellular flagship - has operated under the CAT concession. "Our talks are based on the concept that CAT wants to be the network provider, while True wants to keep its cellular customers," he added.

According to Information and Communications Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap, CAT and True have to come up with the solutions by July, given the auction of the 3G-2.1GHz spectrum licences by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is expected to take place around October.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/CAT-and-True-in-talks-to-tide-over-3G-deal-problem-30182917.html

[lomatopo]

NBTC told not to sell off 3G spectum cheaply

SIRIVISH TOOMGUM

THE NATION May 26, 2012 1:00 am

The national broadcasting and telecom regulator should set a high reserve price for the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum licences it plans to auction off, Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) vice president Somkiat Tangkitavanit said yesterday. It would be inappropriate if the state authority auctioned this precious national asset at a low price, he said.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is expected to announce early next month the reserve price, which is the floor price for the spectrum blocks to be auctioned. It intends to auction off the 2.1GHz spectrum in October, for provision of third-generation cellular service.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/NBTC-told-not-to-sell-off-3G-spectum-cheaply-30182870.html

[lomatopo]

Ouch.

CAT, True 3G deal breaches Frequency Act - report

Monday 28 May 2012 | 11:13 CET |

A subcommittee of Thailand's National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has determined that the 3G network deal between CAT Telecom and True violates the Frequency Allocation Act. After a two-month investigation, the panel called for seven amendments to the True-CAT contracts so that they comply with section 46 of the Frequency Allocation Act, said a subcommittee member. The act obliges licence holders and spectrum owners including CAT to manage spectrum rights on their own. They are prohibited from allowing other parties to do the job on their behalf. The NBTC subcommittee concluded that under the deal, CAT would not control the use of its radio frequencies.

To bring the deal into compliance, CAT must use the 800-MHz frequency on its own equipment and devices. Second, CAT must have full management control over its network operation centre. Third, mobile data usage and call detail records must be in possession of CAT. Fourth, the contracts must indicate clearly that CAT has the authority to manage spectrum. Fifth, the contracts must allow CAT to be the sole decision-maker on frequency planning, network rollout and service operations. Sixth, CAT must have the authority to negotiate with other operators about inbound roaming and interconnection charges. Finally, the contracts must stipulate that CAT is solely responsible for spectrum control.

The subcommittee will submit its findings to the NBTC telecom committee in June, said the source. Telecom committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan said the committee will take two weeks to consider the matter before submitting its recommendation to the board for approval. Normally, the telecom committee would not overturn a resolution from a subcommittee, he said. Malisuwan said if the NBTC rules that CAT should amend some conditions of the contracts, then the state telecom enterprise, as an NBTC licensee, must comply promptly or face revocation of its licence.

http://www.telecompaper.com/news/cat-true-3g-deal-breaches-frequency-act-report

Oops. Looks like somebody got to the sub-committee chairman....

Release of NBTC's 3G report delayed

In a surprise move, the preliminary findings of the investigation by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) into the third-generation (3G) network deal between CAT Telecom and True Corporation has been postponed. Initially, a subcommittee of the NBTC planned to announce its fact-finding report yesterday, after it found seven points indicating that the True-CAT contract violated Section 46 of the Frequency Allocation Act. The act prescribes that licence-holders must manage spectrum rights on their own. They are also prohibited from allowing other parties to manage the frequency on their behalf. The seven points that were in need of amendment included the use of CAT's 800-megahertz frequency on its own equipment and devices. A member of the investigative subcommittee disclosed that it could not enter into an agreement for the conclusion as the subcommittee chairman acted in opposition to the report.

The subcommittee will raise the conclusion at the next meeting on Thursday. The source said the delay was a surprise, as previously all members of the subcommittee unanimously approved the initial report. In another development, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) yesterday did not charge any new persons involved in the True-CAT deal. The NACC earlier charged former CAT chief executive Jirayuth Rungsrithong and members of the former CAT board of potential involvement in the 3G deal awarded to True Corporation.

Edited May 29, 2012 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

True to continue CAT partnership ‘at own risk’ as state telco officially suspends 3G activity

28 May 2012

Thailand

Thailand’s ICT minister Anudith Nakornthap has warned True Corp that if it chooses to continue investing in its 3G mobile partnership with CAT Telecom, it must do so at its own risk, Thai newspaper The Nation reports. As CommsUpdate reported earlier this month, state-owned CAT has been forced to suspend its own investments in the 3G business pending the outcome of multiple investigations into the legality of its partnership deals with True, which the minister confirmed, while adding that he hoped that CAT could find solutions to its legal problems by July. The ‘True Move H’ HSPA-based services are provided via contracts signed in January 2011, under which CAT leases 800MHz/850MHz network infrastructure rolled out by BFKT, a subsidiary of True’s Real Future holding division, and in turn CAT wholesales the capacity to True’s Real Move unit which effectively acts as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO); CAT also operates its own retail HSPA-based service under the ‘My’ banner, although this has now been suspended pending legal decisions.

A subcommittee of the independent regulator, the National Broadcasting & Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has issued a decision that the CAT-True deals breach the Frequency Allocation Law, which prevents a licensee (i.e. CAT) from allowing another party (i.e. True) from managing frequencies on its behalf. As reported today by the Bangkok Post, the committee found seven points which must be amended in the contracts. Firstly, CAT must use the 800MHz frequency ‘on its own equipment and devices’. Second, CAT must have full management control over its network operation centre. Third, mobile data usage and call detail records must be in CAT’s possession. Fourth, the contracts must indicate clearly that CAT has the authority to manage spectrum. Fifth, the contracts must allow CAT to be the sole decision-maker on frequency planning, network rollout and service operations. Sixth, CAT must have the authority to negotiate with other operators about inbound roaming and interconnection charges. Finally, the contracts must stipulate that CAT is solely responsible for spectrum control. The subcommittee will submit its findings to the NBTC telecom committee next month, the Post’s source said, and a recommendation will be submitted to the watchdog’s board in two weeks for approval.

Previously, in March, a panel of the Ministry of ICT (MICT) panel found legal irregularities in the CAT-True deals, while the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) declared that state officials involved in the deals had breached the law.

http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2012/05/28/true-to-continue-cat-partnership-at-own-risk-as-state-telco-officially-suspends-3g-activity/

[lomatopo]

CAT told to suspend 3G investments

28 May 2012

Thailand’s ICT minister tells state-owned operator to wait for investigations on CAT-True 3G network deal

Thailand’s information and communication technology minister Anudith Nakornthap has ordered CAT Telecom to temporarily halt its investments and marketing activities for its 3G network, reported local media. The Bangkok Post reported that the minister has asked the company to wait until investigations are concluded on a 3G network deal between CAT and True. The minister said: “Given that the True-CAT deal is still under investigation by many state agencies — and given that the National Economic and Social Development Board declined to approve budget for CAT and recommended [that] CAT submit its budget request to the cabinet first — we think CAT should halt all activities related to its 3G project now.”

The minister said that True will have to assume all the risk if it goes ahead with its 3G investment plan, and if it is later determined that the CAT deal is in violation of the law. Anudith also discussed plans with CAT’s officials to reorganise the company as a network service provider.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

So...trying to translate all this, it would seem that the latest developments don't mean anything particular for current True Move H subscribers and services...

It does appear to mean that CAT will at least temporarily halt the marketing of its own branded 3G...

Whether it immediately means anything for True's 3G expansion and network improvement plans, I don't see any indication from these posts... The ICT Min. is saying True would proceed at its own risk... There seems to be no word from True as yet on their response.

[lomatopo]

I believe all build-out has been halted, and equipment import licenses revoked, so that might mean something for current TrueMove H and/or CAT My subscribers? TrueMove H can continue to provide the service "at their own risk".

Hence this slide from last week's (May 22, 2012) Analyst's Conference may be smoke/mirrors?

Edited May 29, 2012 by lomatopo

[lomatopo]

Q1, 2012 Stats:

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I believe all build-out has been halted, and equipment import licenses revoked, so that might mean something for current TrueMove H and/or CAT My subscribers? TrueMove H can continue to provide the service "at their own risk".

Hence this slide from last week's (May 22, 2012) Analyst's Conference may be smoke/mirrors?

Loma, I guess I was saying -- but feel free to disagree if you think it's wrong -- that anyone who is currently using/receiving True Move H 3G service over their existing network can reasonably expect that service to continue uninterrupted, at least for the time being.

Nor did I read anything from the above posts that in any way suggested that True Move H would somehow be stopped from continuing to subscribe new 3G customers for its service, again, at least for the time being -- presuming those customers are in areas currently served by True Move H with 3G.

I wasn't saying anything about what the latest gamesmanship means for True's future expansion and network buildout plans.

Edited May 29, 2012 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[skippybangkok]

Q1, 2012 Stats:

And who wrote these stats ? Lol. AIS, has less sites, I know they have issues on spectrum - not enough ( recent NBTC visit to Bkk Airport, AIS came out as the worst operator due to frequency congestion ) ...... Yet claim to have 2x more 3G subs on half as many sites..... Do the maths

Edited May 29, 2012 by skippybangkok

[lomatopo]

Partners face push on fee row

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation May 30, 2012 1:00 am

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will call on CAT Telecom and Real Move to clear up their dispute with it on phone-number fees today. Real Moves' third-generation cellular service, under the CAT-True partnership, is facing a shortage of phone-number allocations. Recently the NBTC's number allocation committee declined to approve an additional 1.75 million numbers to CAT, which it would pass on to Real Move. Real Move is CAT's 3G service provider under the True Move H brand. NBTC said it could not allocate the new numbers after CAT's refusal to pay an overdue fee of Bt6 million to the watchdog for the first lot of 1.75 million numbers granted to CAT. The payment was due in April.

CAT claimed the fee payment was pending the completion of probes by state authorities into the legality of the deals it made with True Corp for a 3G service partnership. Settapong Malisuwan, chairman of the NBTC's telecom committee, said the problem should be cleared as soon as possible. Both parties must work out a solution. Real Move is targeting 4 million customers this year, up from the current 1.7 million.

NBTC has twice ordered its licence holder CAT to pay the overdue fees, plus a fine of 2 per cent of the fee for the 1.75 million numbers, worth Bt3 million per month. CAT had requested about 5 million mobile-phone numbers this year for Real Move. The watchdog approved only 3.5 million. Real Move is targeting 4 million customers this year, up from 1.7 million at present. Meanwhile, the NBTC is set to finish the draft of 3G auction licences ready for a public hearing this July. Settapong said the telecom committee was expected to decide on the reserve price for 3G licences early next month and would complete an information memorandum by the end of June.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Partners-face-push-on-fee-row-30183117.html

[lomatopo]

PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

Only court can alter 3G deals with CAT, says True

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

May 31, 2012 1:00 am

True Corp said yesterday that only the court could order a change to its 3G partnership contracts with CAT Telecom. But True welcomes bilateral talks with CAT to seek a way out of the problems related to the deals. True has asserted that the contracts are legal. Adhiruth Thothaveesansuk, managing director for mobile business of True Corp, said the CAT-True contracts were partnership agreements. If anyone wants to change them, it can only be done by way of a court decision.

"We've operated the service under the partnership with CAT. By principle, the contractual parties have to collaborate to provide the service. If one of the contractual parties has done anything that obstructs the service provisioning, this might be regarded as breaching the contract, which could hurt both parties. Now we're continuing the business as usual and more customers are still signing up with us," Adhiruth said. The service is operated by Real Move under the TrueMove H brand.

CAT and True are in talks to seek a resolution to these problems, so both sides have to wait for the result, which is expected soon, he said. According to CAT, one of its proposals is to buy back the third-generation cellular networks from BFKT.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Only-court-can-alter-3G-deals-with-CAT-says-True-30183185.html

[lomatopo]

Q1, 2012 Stats:

And who wrote these stats ? Lol. AIS, has less sites, I know they have issues on spectrum - not enough ( recent NBTC visit to Bkk Airport, AIS came out as the worst operator due to frequency congestion ) ...... Yet claim to have 2x more 3G subs on half as many sites..... Do the maths

Uhm, True Mobile Group. LOL. You do come across as a complete doofus often.

The figures, for TrueMove, came from TrueMove. Here is a slide from their recent presentation, where you can see alignment with the 1.1 million figure. Perhaps you can get TrueMove to help you with your "maths".

[lomatopo]

NBTC draws flak for hiring ex-CAT lawyer

Don Sambandaraksa | May 25, 2012

telecomasia.net

Thailand’s regulator has drawn criticism as it has emerged that the lawyer responsible for the CAT-TrueMove H 3G deal is now acting as a legal advisor and is investigating the very project he worked on at his former employer.

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission had appointed Chaikasem Nitisiri as legal advisor and it recently emerged that he is on the sub-committee investigating the TrueMove H 3G deal. Chaikasem used to work for CAT Telecom during the time that the TrueMove deal was struck.

Both the ICT Ministry and Counter-Corruption Commission have declared the deal illegal and the latter is instigating legal action against the former CAT CEO and its board at the time of the deal. However, the NBTC’s own investigation has gone nowhere fast.

Two Thai language papers, Banmuang and Naewna, have quoted a source from the ICT Ministry saying that the reason for the NBTC’s delay is that the person charged with investigating whether True broke article 46 of the frequency allocation act is the same person who drafted the TrueMove 3G deal.

Clarity is needed on TrueMove’s current 850-MHz 3G network in the run-up to the 2.1-GHz 3G auction mulled for October this year as it would make a huge difference as to how much spectrum TrueMove would want to bid for.

[lomatopo]

CAT to redo 3G contracts

NBTC allows 30 days for new deal with True

Telecom regulators have ordered state-owned CAT Telecom to amend its third-generation (3G) network contracts with True Corporation within 30 days. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday said the existing contracts between CAT Telecom and True violate Section 46 of the Frequency Allocation Act of 2010, which requires licence holders and spectrum owners including CAT, to manage the spectrum rights on their own.

If CAT is unable to comply and amend its contracts, it could ultimately face the revocation of its 3G licence from the NBTC, which in turn would have massive implications for True's mobile unit, True Move and its customers. But CAT chief executive Kittisak Sriprasert said his company has been in talks with True over the past three weeks on a deal that would potentially eliminate the issues raised by the NBTC regarding the contracts.

[skippybangkok]

Q1, 2012 Stats:

And who wrote these stats ? Lol. AIS, has less sites, I know they have issues on spectrum - not enough ( recent NBTC visit to Bkk Airport, AIS came out as the worst operator due to frequency congestion ) ...... Yet claim to have 2x more 3G subs on half as many sites..... Do the maths

Uhm, True Mobile Group. LOL. You do come across as a complete doofus often.

The figures, for TrueMove, came from TrueMove. Here is a slide from their recent presentation, where you can see alignment with the 1.1 million figure. Perhaps you can get TrueMove to help you with your "maths".

Stick to Copy an paste my friend, thats where your strenghts lie

[lomatopo]

Softbank to help TOT with 3G strategy

In other news from the TOT boardroom, Japanese telco Softbank will serve as principal technical advisor to TOT in a business strategy review, which will include evaluating the company’s assets – including Thailand’s only 2100MHz W-CDMA/HSPA 3G network – to establish a framework for generating new revenue opportunities. In the mobile sector, TOT is likely to focus on operating wholesale network services, whilst it must also nail down its strategy for utilising infrastructure to be transferred back under the state telco’s control via the expiry of private operators’ build-transfer-operate (BTO) concessions, including the BTO licence of the country’s largest cellular provider, Advanced Info Service (AIS), which runs out in 2015. TOT is expected to form three subsidiaries this year to run new operating divisions under its revised structure to be finalised via the project with Softbank.

http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2012/06/18/tot-to-build-two-terrestrial-fibre-routes-in-partnership-with-china-telecom-att/