TOT, AIS Strike 3G Roaming Deal

[webfact]

TOT, AIS strike roaming deal

By Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

TOT and Advanced Info Service (AIS) have made a deal under which AIS customers would be given roaming access on the TOT 3G network for data, and TOT customers will get roaming access to the AIS network for voice and data services.

This deal should help AIS expand its 3G service so it can compete with True Corp, which has partnered with CAT Telecom.

A TOT source said both sides had agreed on the matter and were waiting for the deal to take effect soon. TOT apparently sent the draft contract to AIS as soon as it looked like Pheu Thai was going to take over the country's reins. Party leader Yingluck Shinawatra is the former president of AIS.

Negotiations for this deal have been going on since last year. The source said that under this deal, TOT would initially allow 60,000 AIS customers to use its 3G network in Greater Bangkok for data roaming, while AIS will allow 200,000 TOT customers voice access and 10,000 customers for data services.

Under the deal, both sides are allowed to provide roaming access to a million customers each.

AIS will pay TOT a roaming fee of 85 satang for each megabyte downloaded, while TOT will pay AIS a promotional rate of 60 satang per minute for subscribers using the AIS network for voice service, Bt1 per SMS and 85 satang per megabyte of data downloaded.

The TOT source added that AIS initially wanted to charge a roaming fee of Bt1.10 per minute, but later agreed to bring it down to the promotional rate. AIS will also give TOT 30 per cent of the revenue it earns from subscribers using the TOT network for roaming access.

The TOT source said this deal was not exclusively for AIS, but AIS had the right to ask TOT to refuse other telecom firms.

AIS wants its subscribers to use the TOT network for roaming access in order to ease the burden on its 3G-900 MHz network, which is serving voice and data services to more than 30 million customers. However, partners that provide the 3G service on TOT's existing network are against the deal because they are concerned AIS would compete with them to acquire customers.

AIS is also interested in partnering with TOT to provide 3G services on TOT's soon-to-be set up nationwide 3G network.

-- The Nation 2011-07-08

[janverbeem]

Yet another deal announced for a service that doesn't exist and will be surpassed for years already at the time that it will be available in the 3G hub of asia.

[EvilDrSomkid]

3G coverage by TRUE is abysmal lately. Somehow I don't think this will be much better.

I really hope DTAC gets through this farce and starts building 4G.

[Disinto]

3G coverage by TRUE is abysmal lately. Somehow I don't think this will be much better.

I really hope DTAC gets through this farce and starts building 4G.

Yes, I noticed that too. I guess Huawei is to be blamed. Here are the consequences of buying Chinese equipments.

Edited July 8, 2011 by Disinto

[Jimi007]

This whole thing is totally crazy! The Finance Ministry owns both TOT and CAT. True has always been awful for phone and TV, but CAT and therefore the Finance Ministry, gives the 3G contract to them... Now TOT and the biggest mobile phone provider will team up... Looks like the writing is on the wall for DTAC...

[alant]

3G coverage by TRUE is abysmal lately. Somehow I don't think this will be much better.

I really hope DTAC gets through this farce and starts building 4G.

Agreed on DTAC - they are streaks ahead of the other telecoms providers in Thailand in terms of service.

If they had 4G, or even 3G, they would likely walk away with the market and the other know - hence the "you're not a Thai company stance from True".

DTAC all the way for me, just really wish they had fast internet and this deal makes it look increasingly unlikely in the short to medium term.

Tom.

Good point about the "not Thai company" the policy of which is one of the reasons why Thailand develops slowly. Is AIS Thai? I thought it had HQ'd in Singapore?

[Oberkommando]

DTAC are being singled out for highlighting the corruption and irregularities in the bidding process in the CAT-True 3G telecoms deal. The court agreed with DTAC's grievances yet did not follow through with an order blocking the deal...

Now DTAC are being investigated for nominee shareholder ownership and flouting the Thai alien business laws.

It's so typically Thai; cannot win on merit so bully and harass.

Ultimately as others have pointed out the loser is the customer.

TOT have the worst customer service and business ethic of any company I have ever dealt with anywhere in the World. Their customer service avoided answering my questions, then lied to me, then refused to speak to me after they had made a mistake that cost me and my business a large sum of money. They are an absolute disgrace yet fully representative of the Thai business and customer service model.

[spidermike007]

I am told there is very good 3G coverage in rural Africa now. Thailand is hopelessly behind the curve on this. it is another example of tiny men limiting the progress of the nation, in the hope of getting rich, or in most cases richer. These punks should be jailed for decades, and taken off the street, much less out of parliament. If the nation cannot bypass the thugs, to implement something as important as 3G, what hope is there of true progress. Will Thailand be in the bottom rung of ASEAN nations in 10 or 20 years. At this rate, it is sure possible.