TOT Pushes Its 3G Lease Bidding Process

[webfact]

TOT pushes its 3G lease bidding process

By USANEE MONGKOLPORN

THE NATION

TOT plans to finish within 30 days the bidding process for selecting firms to lease its 3G capacity once the board approves the bid details.

It remains to be seen if TOT could launch the bid soon, pending completion of the details.

TOT's 3G network management committee plans to submit the terms of reference for consideration of the state agency's board today. Last week, it had worked out the commercial details of the |bid, including the entry fee, |the minimum revenue guarantee, and the fine amount in case the bid winners fail to meet contract terms and conditions.

TOT wants to complete |the bid as soon as possible once it gets the board approval so as to officially kick off the 3G service on the new network within the third quarter, board spokesman Prapan Boonyakiat said.

The state agency divides the bid into three parts - the bid to lease 40 per cent of its 3G network capacity, while the other two bids are for lease of each of the two bulks of 20 capacity. The bid winners will lease the capacity on the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) basis. The MVNOs are firms without their own network who have leased the network of telecom operators to provide the service.

Of its remaining 20 per cent network capacity, TOT will retail the 10 per cent on its |own and the rest 10 per cent will be granted to any small MVNOs.

QUEST FOR 3G

The state agency, which is rolling out the new nationwide 3G network, currently has five MVNOs providing the service on the existing network in Greater Bangkok.

Recently, TOT agreed to allow Advanced Info Service (AIS) to initially roam its 60,000 subscribers on TOT's existing and forthcoming 3G networks for data service. Both are expected to officially sign the deal soon, which will enable AIS to expand its existing 3G service.

A telecom industrialist said CAT might be unhappy with the plan to let AIS roam data customers with the TOT network, as CAT will also be roaming its 3G customers on the TOT network. This means TOT will have to allocate network capacity for both |CAT and AIS customers' roaming, besides allotting the capacity to the new MVNO partners.

TOT's new 3G network can serve 7.2 million customers.

Given that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has yet to get off the ground to grant the 3G-2.1GHz spectrum licences, cellular operators have sought a way to expand their 3G service with their state telecom concession owners.

AIS has provided 3G service on its own network with TOT consent on commercial trial basis. True Corp has joined with CAT to develop the 3G service nationwide on commercial basis for 14 years.

But Total Access Communication (DTAC) is still awaiting CAT's nod to launch the 3G-800MHz service commercially, a change from the current non-commercial trial basis.

-- The Nation 2011-07-11

[virtualtraveller]

Monopoly, monopoly, monopoly!

Now let's see; the real 3G licensing has successfully been postponed indefinitely, TOT somehow get an extra-ordinary licence, they auction it off to the highest bidders so they don't have to actually do much, they do a pre-deal with True by selling them Hutch at an inflated price because it gives them a head start. True are busy getting Dtac disqualified because they can't stand a little competition from foreigners, AIS will now re-enter the fray (and if there was any doubt that they are no longer favoured by ex-owners the Shinawatras, observe how their share price rocketed 17% the day after Yingluck won).

AIS (in Chiang Mai) recently sold me an iphone with a 3,000 baht discount if I took a package with them, but the package (which I'm committed to for 3 months minimum) CANNOT have 3G enabled. They are marketing 3G, though it's only a test service available in Chiang Mai city and pockets of Korat.

With the 'Telecoms Mogul family' back in power can we expect this all to get more complex or for competitive, reliable 3G to finally arrive in Thailand.

[horsewell]

Don't get me wrong I think it's a good move, however, it's a roaming service... doesn't that mean that AIS customers will be charged a premium for the service? Thinking it would probably be better if they just started erecting a WiMAX (4G) network. Probably still years away from even thinking about that. Let's see if the new government can be more effective.

[Crushdepth]

They're trying to push this through before the spectrum licensing authority is set up. If they can get other carriers to lease from them instead of waiting to get their own licenses, they can continue to suck off 30% of the other carriers revenue.

That's what this entire disgusting mess is about.