CAT To Launch My 3G Service Formally On January 10

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CAT to launch My 3G service formally on January 10

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

CAT Telecom will formally splash out its My 3G retail service on January 10 in more than 30 provinces with the aim of acquiring 600,000 subscribers next year, up from about 2,000 currently.

CAT's board yesterday approved a capital-expenditure budget of Bt20 billion for 2012-16, of which Bt12 billion is for installing transmission and telecommunication facilities to support its third-generation wholesale-retail business. About US$10 million (Bt318 million) will be poured into the laying of a submarine cable in the Asia-Pacific region.

Viroj Tocharoenvanith, the acting chief executive officer, said the My service would be provided on more than 3,000 base stations - 1,700 in Bangkok and the rest in |the 30 provinces - then expanded to 13,000 stations nationwide next |year to cover 90 per cent of the|population.

BFKT (Thailand) of True Corp group has installed the 3G network equipment using HSPA (high-speed packet access) technology for CAT to wholesale and retail the service. CAT has retailed the service under the My brand with the focus on corporate customers.

The state enterprise is wholesaling 3G capacity to Real Move, which is also a True subsidiary. Real Move is providing its service under the TrueMove H brand.

CAT is ahead of its original schedule of 4,500 base stations within three years, as it already has about 3,000 in the first year of its agreement with BFKT.

CAT hopes this wholesale-retail 3G service generates substantial revenue before it loses some revenue when the concessions it granted to TrueMove and Digital Phone Co come to an end in 2013.

It has already requested 500,000 phone numbers from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) for the My service and will request more numbers for Real Move to resell its service. Earlier CAT requested 5 million numbers for Real Move, but the NBTC allocated only 3.5 million.

Real Move targets 4 million customers next year, up from about 700,000 at present.

If the NBTC declines the request for phone numbers for Real Move, CAT might allocate part of its 2 million idle phone numbers for its CDMA (code division multiple access) cellular service to Real Move, Viroj said.

The board also approved staff bonuses equivalent to 3.8-3.9 months of salaries as well as a Bt50,000 grant to each of 2,500 staff to repair their flood-hit homes.

-- The Nation 2011-12-27

[ThaiLife]

I wonder if this will affect current CAT CDMA users in any way , AIS 3G has recently come to my area and its a lot better than my current CAT CDMA connection .

[bobl]

I wonder if this will affect current CAT CDMA users in any way , AIS 3G has recently come to my area and its a lot better than my current CAT CDMA connection .

I sincerely hope not, and that they offer CDMA or 3G to their clients. I cannot imagine that they will not jump on the mobile data "cash cow" bandwaggon that is 3G, and I expect their pricing will be similar to the other 3G providers - roughly B180/Gb.

I am not against 3G in any way - I use it myself whenever possible for the convenience of its portability and speed - 3G providers worldwide have many millions of happy customers - but 3G is definitely not for "power users" who consume large volumes of data...

For comparison, consider that even if you're "only" getting 512kbps on average out of your unmetered connection - then you have a connection which is capable of delivering roughly 150Gb/month. Now, switch over to a much faster, but metered connection and work out what 150Gb would cost you at B180/Gb...

[woodyleonhard]

Prices listed by CAT last month for the "My Click" service run B 590 per month for up to 4 GB of data. Comparable service via TrueMove-H is B 899 per month. It's not clear from the material I saw if "My Click" includes phone time, SMSs, and so on.

Right now, you can't sign up for CAT's CDMA (EV-DO) service in Phuket. They won't sell it to you. Remains to be seen if they'll force EV-DO users over to the new HSPA+ network.

Reading between the lines on this announcement, it sounds like True (actually BKFT) built out the HSPA+ network on CAT's towers, Now CAT will offer access to the same True-built network that serves TrueMove-H customers, at a lower price. My guess is that only the backend will be different. If that's the case, it's an interesting development in a long, twisted tale.

By the way, CAT isn't getting into 3G for fear of "losing some revenue when the concessions it granted to TrueMove and Digital Phone Co come to an end in 2013." Presumably, at that point CAT could tell True to take a hike, or charge a very high rate for True's continued use of CAT's spectrum and infrastructure.

CAT's really concerned that AIS (read: TOT) and True - and to a lesser degree DTAC and the others - are starting to build up customer bases that will be hard to erode in the future. CAT needs to start developing its own retail brand now.

I wonder how long it'll be before CAT starts reselling iPhones and iPads. Both AIS and True - and to a much lesser degree DTAC - are doing a huge business as resellers.

Everybody's waiting for the 2.1 GHz auction. That'll change everything.

[woodyleonhard]

... 3G is definitely not for "power users" who consume large volumes of data...

For comparison, consider that even if you're "only" getting 512kbps on average out of your unmetered connection - then you have a connection which is capable of delivering roughly 150Gb/month. Now, switch over to a much faster, but metered connection and work out what 150Gb would cost you at B180/Gb...

From what I've read, you're right - CDMA technology handles large volumes of data from fewer users better than HSPA+.

But you're assuming that people will have access to unlimited CDMA accounts in the future, and that CAT will continue to support its CDMA network in a reasonable way. That isn't a given. It all depends on how CAT wants to play it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Prices listed by CAT last month for the "My Click" service run B 590 per month for up to 4 GB of data. Comparable service via TrueMove-H is B 899 per month. It's not clear from the material I saw if "My Click" includes phone time, SMSs, and so on.

I'm really getting fed up with all the Thailand 3G B.S., and the kind of pricing model you mention above...

Long before TrueMove-H came along, I was a regular and ongoing TrueMove customer and had their trial 3G service from when it began in BKK. But as soon as they switched 3G to TrueMove-H, the pricing increased substantially in order for me to keep service comparable to what I'd had. So I dropped TrueMove entirely, and never have dealt with TrueMove-H.

I'm paying for my own True DSL and True Cable Internet services at home in BKK, plus running my own home wifi network. So I really don't need or use great volumes of 3G data most of the time. I just want to have SOME reasonable, usable data service when I'm away from home on travel or other things. I'm not looking for 3G to become my main data provider.

The way TrueMove-H is pricing their services, I'd be a fool to subscribe... And why should I now, especially when any AIS mobile customer, or any True Online home data customer, can add unlimited wifi to those services for 99 baht per month. That's unlimited wifi anywhere in Thailand that True's and AIS's wifi (the latter provided by 3BB) reach.

[ThaiLife]

Ive been a CAT CDMA user for over 3 years now and its been a roller coaster ride , having no other alternative to get an internet connection ( other than land line dial up and mobile EDGE ) CAT CDMA was my only viable option , now AIS 3G is in my area and the performance and speeds are much better than my current CAT CDMA connection , having said that I do download a lot of media content using CAT CDMA , normally using my download manager set to run when I'm asleep ( better speeds at that time ) so the un limited package I currently use priced at 845 Baht per month does get well used.

It now seems a waiting game to see just what CAT will offer its existing CDMA customers like my self, If CAT's new 3G service runs any thing like the AIS 3G service I now use ( when CAT CDMA is playing up ) I will be more than pleased , the thorn in the CAT 3G side could be its un limited option . Only time will tell , but I fear the worst

[GreenSnapper]

I'm paying for my own True DSL and True Cable Internet services at home in BKK, plus running my own home wifi network. So I really don't need or use great volumes of 3G data most of the time. I just want to have SOME reasonable, usable data service when I'm away from home on travel or other things. I'm not looking for 3G to become my main data provider.

Exactly my setup here in BKK too.

I use 20 hours DTAC-3G for 100 Bt/month. Use it only when outside the home and the phone drops connection when I internet is not needed. Perfect and cheap for me.

Of course, outside of BKK I'm in the 3G-jungle again.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Snapper, I'm doing something similar, using I-Mobile 3GX's phone and 3G data service in Bangkok -- 199 baht+ per month for 199 minutes of calling to other I-Mobile customers, 199 MB of 3G data, and 1 baht per minute for non I-Mobile calls. No Edge data. SMS charged extra per.

I-Mobile is a virtual mobile network operator on TOT's 3G network, meaning that within BKK, the phone is supposed to operate for data and calls on TOT's 3G network, and outside BKK or where a 3G signal isn't available, the phone roams to AIS for calling and no data. Although, TOT is in the process of expanding their 3G beyond BKK, although they're running behind schedule for now.

The problem is, lately, my wife and I seem to be getting a lot of dropped calls and 3G network dropouts here within BKK. Not sure what's going on with that. We both have newer mobile phones, so it may be a problem with the new handsets being more finicky... Or it may be that TOT/I-Mobile are having some problems with their network in the areas where we stay.

With the way things are going with mobile and politics here, I'd say it's looking like DTAC is going to end up with the short end of the stick. But who knows...that could end up working out differently. The problem is, it's hard to know what horses to bet on, in terms of choosing a service provider...

I'm thinking of switching back to just a base calling plan with either AIS or True, and then using one of their 99 baht or 100 baht unlimited wifi add-ons.... But there are still areas where you might not get a wifi connection from your chosen provider... So having at least some Edge or 3G still is an issue.

[GreenSnapper]

The problem is, it's hard to know what horses to bet on, in terms of choosing a service provider...

I'm thinking of switching back to just a base calling plan with either AIS or True, and then using one of their 99 baht or 100 baht unlimited wifi add-ons.... But there are still areas where you might not get a wifi connection from your chosen provider... So having at least some Edge or 3G still is an issue.

I used to be quite a "wifi man". In the past, you could use TRUE hotspots for free if you are a ADSL customer. That seems to be abolished, though.

Now I'm glad to have DTAC as a 3G solution at least in BKK. It is so much easier and comfortable than wifi. I tested it up the north to Chaeng Wattana, and south/east to Bearing. Coverage is quite good from my experience, speed too.

If you are still in an Edge-only area, you shall consider Opera Mini as your browser, as it compresses your data and speeds up the browsing experience.

It is still quite a mess here in Thailand. It is still a long way that the big companies offer country-wide 3G.

Edited December 27, 2011 by GreenSnapper