Real Move Aims To Top 3G Market

[webfact]

Real move aims to top 3G market

By USANEE MONGKOLPORN

THE NATION

Real Move has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming No 1 in the 3G market, said True Corp chief executive officer Supachai Chearavanont.

However, it faces tough competition from Advanced Info Service (AIS) and Total Access Communication (DTAC), which also aim to be leaders in proving third-generation wireless broadband service.

"We expect to acquire 80 per cent of the 3G market next year, or 5 million of the estimated 8 million 3G users," Supachai said at the official launch of the service yesterday. True is the parent of Real Move and TrueMove.

He added that Real Move would break even once it had 5 million subscribers.

Real Move has gained full support from its partner CAT Telecom, which has leased its 3G capacity to the company to retail the service under the TrueMove H brand.

Supachai claimed that Real Move now had the largest 3G network coverage, totalling 3,000 base stations, of which 1,700 are in Bangkok and the rest in 16 major provinces.

Its network will be expanded to cover 70 per cent of the population in the first quarter of next year before rising to 97 per cent by the end of 2012.

AIS debuted its full 3G service in Bangkok and seven other major provinces after the expansion of its 3G base stations to 1,884 in these provinces.

DTAC has also launched a 3G service in Greater Bangkok, with the plan to expand the network to cover 20 provinces this year and to 40 next year.

Supachai said that next year Real Move's coverage would be larger than that of AIS's 2G network. AIS is currently the largest cellular operator.

CAT will establish 5,326 3G base stations this year to wholesale its 3G capacity to Real Move and other interested firms.

Real Move has about 100,000 subscribers, who each generate average revenue of Bt700 a month. It is currently for post-paid service only. It expects to launch prepaid service late this year. It targets 1 million subscribers this year and plans to spend Bt200 million on a marketing campaign.

Supachai said that about 400,000 existing 3G users of TrueMove were expected to switch to Real Move soon. About 800,000 subscribers of Real Move's subsidiary Hutchison-CAT Wireless Multimedia are expected to move to use Real Move service next year; 50,000 have already migrated to Real Move.

CAT entered agreements with Real Move and Real Future - subsidiaries of True Corp - in January in a collaboration to provide 3G service. Under the deals, Real Future has leased 3G network equipment to CAT, which in turn wholesaled network capacity to interested firms to provide the service. Real Move obtained a 14.5-year lease of 3G capacity from CAT to provide the service.

Supachai said Real Future planned to spend Bt25 billion before the end of the year on |providing 3G equipment to CAT.

True group will also spend Bt1.5 billion on expanding its Wi-Fi network.

Currently 80 per cent of the population use mobile phones with 73 million SIM cards in use, one-third of them in the metropolitan area. Of the national total, 90 per cent are prepaid users.

-- The Nation 2011-08-31

[Chivas]

Take some doing if their service continues at same pace as currently.

Am in centre of Buriram and True gives just one bar for Edge service !! AIS and Dtac five so what 3G will be like is anyones guess.

[AlanL1275]

To he** with 3g, it is pretty much old tech now. Thailand should look at 3rd world countries that it is so far behind. I am glad they aren't fighting over the availability of water, or food. We would all starve, or die of thirst.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Supachai said that about 400,000 existing 3G users of TrueMove were expected to switch to Real Move soon.

I'm one of those existing True Move (formerly 3G) users... And I might have switched to Real Move..except... even though I've been their customer for years... to sign up for a new Real Move service, they want me to once again start from scratch and submit copies of my signed passport page and various other stuff... I'm really tired of doing that kind of stuff every time I want to sneeze... So instead, I'm thinking to let True Move/Real Move hang and stick with TOT/I-Mobile, which isn't even mentioned in the OP article for some strange reason.

Also, I used to get True's 3G service in BKK under a combined calling/data/wifi plan I have with them. But somewhere along the way, without me changing anything, they seem to have turned off access to their 3G or stripped it out of my plan. Because lately when I turn on my 850 Mhz 3G phone with a True SIM installed, it only registers for Edge... no more little "3G" icon like I used to get.

About 800,000 subscribers of Real Move's subsidiary Hutchison-CAT Wireless Multimedia are expected to move to use Real Move service next year; 50,000 have already migrated to Real Move.

That's talking about Hutch's existing CDMA customers, right? Have we ever figured out... is Real Move meaning they expect to transition all those people and their phones to GSM service and phones somehow? Or are they somehow going to continue running a separate CDMA 3G service via their various stations???

Edited August 31, 2011 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[MaiChai]

If other countries are anything to go by, everyone should have 3G on their phone. Meaning the market is much bigger than 5M subscribers, and there certainly is enough custom for all players. Seems like CAT/True are trying to snuff out competition, which isn't fair on the consumer, who should be able to choose from a number of operators. Competition drives prices down and ultimatly benefits the consumer; this is NOT what CAT want. They want to maintain high prices and margins and offer a low level of service. They even shrug off responsiblity for the network by getting True to operate it! Amazing Thailand.

[muratremix]

Oh come on?

"We expect to acquire 80 per cent of the 3G market next year, or 5 million of the estimated 8 million 3G users,"

80 percent of 8 million makes 6.4 million.

if 5 million is 80 percent of all 3G market then market size is 6.25 million.

Where do these people learn Math?

[Para]

Sorry the whole Thai 3G fiasco is now IMO totally boring but must be a constant source of laughter to the rest of the world. Too long has been wasted making brown envelope payments and kickbacks while the rest of the world moves on......

[skippybangkok]

Had a skype call on my iPhone from down town, and down the motorway to Bangna using 3G - no dropped call ! I think its starting to stabilize now.........

[BB1950]

Sorry the whole Thai 3G fiasco is now IMO totally boring but must be a constant source of laughter to the rest of the world. Too long has been wasted making brown envelope payments and kickbacks while the rest of the world moves on......

Do you really think the rest of the world even knows??? IMO It's only a source of laughter for farangs and it definitely is boring, Just like the rest of Thai politics.

[Para]

Sorry the whole Thai 3G fiasco is now IMO totally boring but must be a constant source of laughter to the rest of the world. Too long has been wasted making brown envelope payments and kickbacks while the rest of the world moves on......

Do you really think the rest of the world even knows??? IMO It's only a source of laughter for farangs and it definitely is boring, Just like the rest of Thai politics.

Do they know or like us do they actually care either way I agree with you......

[virtualtraveller]

when a company boasts it expects to have 80% of the market share, that is called a monopoly! True/Real paid a fortune to get the only available 3G concession engineered by TOT who succeeded in blocking the process to roll out competing services. This is how the business model works here. Sure you can get 3G, on our terms only, and if we provide an unreliable service then sod off.

I think it was smart of Dtac to launch a free service, technically they are not selling a 3G service illegally, so it's subject to the same sketchy law that has postponed their licence. By being free it will steal the thunder from true and build up an enormous subscriber base that will give them a head start when licences are approved.

On another note, I use AIS test 3G in Chiang Mai and routinely get 4mb, in fact I now use it through bluetooth to get internet on my Mac since neither the TOT nor 3BB services I have running into the house are terribly reliable these days! Says it all really about net access in this wonderful country TIT!