Foreigners seek update from regulator

SIRIVISH TOOMGUM

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Foreign investors are concerned about the national broadcasting and telecom watchdog's regulations on preventing foreign dominance in the telecom industry.

Settapong Malisuwan, telecom committee chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommu-|nications Commission (NBTC), said that foreign investors and fund managers had recently inquired of him about the watchdog's progress in finalising the 2.1GHz spectrum-licensing plan. They have also expressed concern about NBTC's existing foreign dominance regulations.

The regulations define foreign dominance as direct and indirect control over a telecom company's policies and the appointment of directors and high-ranking management.

The watchdog has considering whether to revoke or revise the regulations. It will have to be finished by March, Settapong added.

NBTC commissioner Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn said the watchdog already has asked the legal |unit to examine if the regulations contradict the country's inter-national trade commitments.

Total Access Communication (DTAC), which has Norway's Telenor as strategic partner, filed a complaint with the Central Administrative Court last November, claiming foreign dominance regulations were illegal and unconstitutional.

The NBTC held the public hearing on the foreign dominance regulations last December to see if they need to be revised. The regulations, which were issued by the now-defunct National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), took effect last August.

The contentious issue of foreign ownership in the Thai telecom sector was once hotly debated in the NTC's public hearing on the 2.1GHz licence auction rules many years ago.

Many parties viewed that the spectrum, a precious national resource, should not fall into the hands of foreigners or their nominees, citing concerns for national security.

True Corp has supported the regulations as a necessary tool to prevent foreign entities competing against local telecom operators in bidding for key spectrum licences, citing national security. But some parties said the regulations should be revoked as they might contradict Thailand's commitments to global trade organisations.

True is the only telecom operator without foreign strategic partnership. Advanced Info Service has Singapore Telecom as its strategic partner.

The NBTC intends to auction the much-awaited 2.1GHz spectrum licence in the third quarter. Settapong added that the 2.1GHz spectrum management subcommittee would convene today to work out the licensing plan, which is expected to be finished by April.

Part of the plan development will be based on the 2.1GHz auction plan made by the NTC.

Settapong has mentioned many times that the suitable spectrum bandwidth for one operator to provide the 3G service is 15MHz.

After taking the office last October, the NBTC has prepared key elements for granting the long-awaited 3G licences.

Lately it drafted the regulations to govern the mobile-data service, offering to ensure data-service quality in the full 3G era. The draft was put for first public hearing last month.

The NBTC's telecom committee also plans to set the maximum tariff fee for the data services.

-- The Nation 2012-02-06

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

True Corp. Ha! Compete? Double 'Ha!' Go DTAC! Thank god there are companies out there who aren't willing to just completely walk away from Thailand when the government starts playing this tune.

> Foreigners = DTAC

Too funny

Every foreigner in this country should have a DTAC account/sim. I switched the day I learned it was foreign owned. Orange was always going to be a loser.

Be happy!

i'm beginning to think thais are afraid of competition

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

Better to have Thai steal from Thai, than Farang steal from Thai.

So the money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy.

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

Better to have Thai steal from Thai, than Farang steal from Thai.

So the money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy.

paranoid thai thinking,did you ever have the idea the service might get better if more competition?orange left because fed up with thai regulations,thanks to orange rates decreased and dtac and AIS had to decrease too,because they did not want to lose customers

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

Better to have Thai steal from Thai, than Farang steal from Thai.

So the money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy.

When Thai steal from Farang you must have a boner for days.

I am not Thai, nor would i want to be.

> Foreigners = DTAC

Too funny

Every foreigner in this country should have a DTAC account/sim. I switched the day I learned it was foreign owned. Orange was always going to be a loser.

Be happy!

Foreign owned but run by Thais are 2 different things. You don't talk to a farang when you need service, paying bills or ANY thing to do with DTAC.

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

Better to have Thai steal from Thai, than Farang steal from Thai.

So the money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy.

Your clearly in the Thai Banking business, or maybe a Thai Politician or maybe just Thai. Why would you even advocate stealing from your own people. It's as if you think its normal to steal.

i'm beginning to think thais are afraid of competition

They truely are.

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

Better to have Thai steal from Thai, than Farang steal from Thai.

So the money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy.

You're either a massive troll, or you've been seriously brainwashed into thinking everything a foreigner says is wrong.

It's okay for Thais to steal from Thais? Didn't I just say that. Stolen money only benefits one person - the thief. You think a 'Thai' thief is going to share his/her ill gotten gains with you? Maybe the thief will hire you as a gardener and pay you 6000 a month. That's keeping it in the economy!

Is ok for foreign companies to setup car/motorbike/electronic manufacturing here but its not ok for foreigner companies to be involved in telecoms? Seems a little inconsistent.

The foreign ownership rules have resulted in Thailand getting 3G three years later than NORTH Korea, where even the North Koreans allowed foreigners to build the network.

Some people (presumably Thai) have updated the wikipedia entries for 4G as they apparently think that HSPA+ is 4G (when it's, at best, 3.5G). Obviously not realising just how far behind this country is.

I'm British and I consider the UK to be lagging quite severely because 4G is still just in trials (despite being out in the US already) and the FTTH/FTTC rollouts are only just starting.

Only Thais can steal from Thais.

Better to have Thai steal from Thai, than Farang steal from Thai.

So the money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy.

HaHa if only it can be -" money will still circulate in Thailand to boost Thai economy."

"The contentious issue of foreign ownership in the Thai telecom sector was once hotly debated in the NTC's public hearing on the 2.1GHz licence auction rules many years ago."- ordinary thing....- when it was need in rising up this sector why not to involve foreign moneys....when the cake is done for what to share .... (better to change game rules