A Flurry Of Activity As 3G Launch Looms: Thailand

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TELECOM
A flurry of activity as 3G launch looms
USANEE MONGKOLPORN
SIRIVISH TOOMGUM
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Players in the telecommunication industry are actively pursuing partnerships and pushing for mass mobile-phone-number portability, while the two state telecom agencies are continuing their attempts to keep control of their spectra.

All this activity has been sparked by the planned launch of third-generation wireless broadband on the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum and the approaching end of cellular concessions.

POSSIBLE 4G PARTNERSHIP

Newly appointed TOT president Yongyuth Wattanasin recently remarked that one option to secure a bright future for the agency was to seek a business partnership with Advanced Info Service (AIS), its concession holder. TOT is keen to talk with the largest cellular operator on possible joint development of 3G and 4G service on their adjacent bands of the 2.1GHz spectrum.

"We're waiting for AIS to talk with us on this possible collaboration," he said.

The band of AIS subsidiary Advanced Wireless Network (AWN) is adjacent to that of TOT. Each holds 15 megahertz of the 2.1GHz spectrum. TOT began providing 3G-2.1GHz service on its own spectrum many years ago, while AWN is expected to launch its 3G service on the same spectrum next month. TOT is testing the 4G service on 100 base stations along the main Skytrain route.

A TOT source said the agency was even interested in joining with AIS to take care of the latter's customers who may fail to switch to other networks after the concession expires in March 2015. TOT estimates that AIS might not be able to shift all of its more than 35.7 million subscribers to AWN's network in 2015, and about 10 million subscribers will be left in the AIS network at that time.

TOT might ask AIS to lease its network to service these 10 million customers on a revenue-sharing basis, the source added.

PUSH FOR MASS NUMBER PORTABILITY

AIS and True Corp have urged the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to fast-track portability of mobile-phone numbers between the two under a mutual agreement. The portability scheme allows users to switch providers while keeping their existing phone numbers. Both AIS and True want to speed up this process to give their premium data subscribers access to their subsidiaries' 3G-2.1GHz networks.

Currently the combined portability capacity of the five telecom operators - AIS, Total Access Communication (DTAC), TrueMove, TOT and CAT - is 40,000 phone numbers per day.

However, TOT and CAT will be unhappy if mass number portability results in a rapid loss of concession revenue. To increase the portability capacity, all telecoms would also have to invest more to expand their existing number-transfer systems, and TOT and CAT do not see how they would get any benefit from this.

Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap said he also did not see how TOT and CAT would benefit from additional investment to expand their number-portability capacity.

But the cellular operators are eager to move their high-spending customers from the state concessions to the 3G networks of their subsidiaries, which hold NBTC licences, to reduce their costs from regulatory fees. Concession fees cost them an average of 25 per cent of gross annual revenue, while the NBTC's licences cost around 6.75 per cent of gross annual revenue.

BATTLE TO KEEP CUSTOMERS, SPECTRA

CAT estimates that there will be about 10 million customers left in TrueMove's network when the company's concession ends this September 15. CAT cites this case to justify its request to the NBTC to allow the agency to keep its 1,800MHz spectrum to serve these 10 million subscribers.

An NBTC source said the private cellular operators seemed to want to keep servicing the subscribers left in their networks by themselves, instead of having other parties doing so, if some customers fail to switch to other networks before the concessions end. The NBTC is studying the legal aspects of the situation.

But CAT chief executive officer Kitisak Sriprasert said that according to their concession contracts, the private cellular operators had to transfer network assets and customers to the concession owners once their contracts expire. He added that if CAT's concession holders cited this legal aspect to keep leftover customers with them, CAT might have to bring this case to the court to sort out the matter.


-- The Nation 2013-03-04

[marcusd]

I just do not understand what CONCESSIONS are. Is this some special deal for Thai business operators and owners? Will all of us plebians be left still getting charged a good price for the carriers that is with still crappy servie? Bangkok has one of the worst Mobile networks I have ever used. I am on AIS.

My Thai friend is on DTAC and we both get so many drop outs loss of connectivity.

Maybe they should repair their overhead UGLY cables and put in a PROPER system, cut down on ugly overhead heavy and dangerous cables and SAVE MONEY on using less wires.

That would give them all some money to build better base stations to take more callers. RELIABLY

Ok you might say mobile services are cheap. YEAH really? Consider this, thailands wages are on average 8 - 10 times less than mine at home in Oz. I pay HALF in thialand as to what I pay in Oz with a far better system and our networks are not the bets. SO ther eis HUGE money being made here...

So many things here are great but BUSINESS Operators are NOT one of them

[Utley]

Concessions is code for "monopoly".

[siampolee]

Con session is what is actually meant.

The whole idea is to take the money at a first class price rate and provide an imitation third class limited service to we luckless consumers who are nothing more than milch cows to the operators of the communications scams schemes here in Thailand.

3G eh !!!

Meanwhile in the real world 4G is becoming the norm. Carrier pigeons it seems still rule in the Thai communication world as run by Ali Barber and co.

[IsaanUSA]

Exciting news, however I wish we could all just jump in a time machine and have all this spectrum change be over with!

[Gary A]

I think it would be a great idea to have reliable 3G service before they worry about 4G. Before you people with good service start bragging, keep in mind that you are just lucky. Some of the areas out in the boonies don't even have reliable 2G service. A friend of mine has a weak AIS signal and no Dtac signal at all. And no, he is not in the mountains. My Truemove-H also has no signal at his home.

My condo located in south Jomtien also has pathetic 3G service. I wouldn't consider Jomtien as being in the boonies.

[allan michaud]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Here in Cambodia we've had almost nationwide 3G for 3 years.

[IsaanUSA]

Here in Cambodia we've had almost nationwide 3G for 3 years.

Cambodia is a lot different from Thailand. The median age of their population is around 21 years. Their wired connections aren't as good or widespread. Cambodia is about a third the size of Thailand. Cambodia is more open to foreign investors.

All of these factors together contribute to easier penetration into the Cambodian market by telecoms, more mobile phone adoption and lower price in setting up a nationwide network.

So I don't find it surprising that a more nimble country beat a larger more bureaucratic country.

[Stjohnm]

I think it would be a great idea to have reliable 3G service before they worry about 4G. Before you people with good service start bragging, keep in mind that you are just lucky. Some of the areas out in the boonies don't even have reliable 2G service. A friend of mine has a weak AIS signal and no Dtac signal at all. And no, he is not in the mountains. My Truemove-H also has no signal at his home.

My condo located in south Jomtien also has pathetic 3G service. I wouldn't consider Jomtien as being in the boonies.

We have to be on DTAC as its the only company with a cell tower anywhere near our house upcountry you have to drive down the road for 10 mins before you can pick up an AIS signal, & as for True, forget it.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[lomatopo]

Not sure what's gonna' happen but please be reassured, however....

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/True-reassures-customers-30202789.html

True reassures customers

Usanee Mongkolporn
The Nation March 27, 2013 1:00 am

True Corp has assured customers at its cellular flagship TrueMove that they will not be affected by the expiration of the latter firm's concession in September.

Adhiruth Thotaveensaksuk, managing director for mobile-phone business at True Corp, said the firm has taken steps to ensure that TrueMove's 17 million customers will not be affected by the end of the concession.

However, True is waiting for the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to make a final decision on which party it will assign to take care of TrueMove customers who fail to migrate to other networks on time once TrueMove's concession ends on September 15.

Besides TrueMove, True has two other cellular subsidiaries, Real Move and Real Future.

Real Move has provided third-generation service on 850 megahertz service under a CAT Telecom resale contract using the TrueMove H brand. The existing 3G network under the Real Move-CAT partnership can serves 13 million clients. Currently, Real Move has about 3 million customers. Real Future is setting up a 3G network nationwide on the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum.

The NBTC last week set up a working panel to draw up measures to mitigate the effects on TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC) customers of the expiration of the two companies' concessions this coming September 15. The panel will decide within the next three months who will be assigned to take care of the companies' customers during the one-year transition period after the concessions expire.

CAT is using all possible means to keep the 1,800MHz spectrum it granted to TrueMove and DPC to provide cellular service. In defending its claim to the spectrum, CAT has cited the need to continue serving those customers who do not switch to other networks after the concessions expire.

[nikster]

I am not holding my breath.

Somehow I can't imagine CAT / TOT won't be somehow able to extend their "con sessions" into the new era. They've been able to do that for decades... they did it with True-H / CAT and TOT / AIS. But you never know, True and AIS are owned by powerful influences too so let them duke it out...

I imagine the difference between Cambodia and Thailand in this regard is that Cambodia is much more organized. That is, there's only one guy who rules it all, not several large power families like in Thailand. There's no fighting over where the money is ultimately going in Cambodia. Advantage of having a strongman?!

PS: And apart from the fact of who takes the cash, we've had 3G in Thailand for many years as well.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Apart from all the colorful answers above, the term "concession" just means the contractual agreement between the state government entities (like TOT and CAT) who hold the rights to the mobile spectrums and the private companies (like AIS, True, DTAC) who are chosen by the government entities to build and run the mobile networks and then return a portion of their revenues to their government agency masters.

Like any contract, the concessions run for varying terms/years and spell out the revenue sharing amounts and all the other terms, including what will happen to all the mobile network infrastructure once the concessions end.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In looking at all this, I'm a little confused about how the interplay between the traditional GSM (calling) frequencies is going to work vs. the new 3G 2100 Mhz frequencies that the major carriers will be rolling out soon.

For example, right now, as an AIS customer, my voice phone calls run over AIS's GSM frequency. But if/when I sign up for their 2100 Mhz 3G service, will that new band only provide data services, and the voice calls will remain on the traditional GSM bands? Or both voice and data will move to the 2100 Mhz band?

I'm asking because, clearly, the GSM voice calling bands have better/more complete coverage areas than the new 3G 2100 Mhz band will. And if I signed up for that new service, I'd hate to be without voice calling service anytime I happened to be out of range of their 3G 2100 Mhz transmitters.

It concerns me some because I'm remembering back when I had a 3G mobile service plan from IMobile in Bangkok (which operated/s on TOT's 2100 Mhz 3G network, as best as I understood it, when I was in BKK, both my voice calls and data activity went over their same 2100 Mhz network. It was only when I was outside BKK and away from their (then only BKK 3G network) that they allowed voice calls to roam to AIS's GSM network (for an extra fee).

AIS has a link on their website to pre-register for their new 2100 Mhz 3G service. And when I did so recently, I got an SMS back saying they wouldn't have service available in my area of BKK until this May.

[lomatopo]

^ It may be challenging to address your confusion before we see the details of the various service providers' 2100 MHz services.

I think AIS and DTAC will launch 2100 MHz as a premium service targeting their highest ARPU customers (post-paid), since they will not have to pay a ~ 30% concession fee on this revenue. Assuming your phone supports 2100 MHz 3G and that you have 2100 MHz coverage then you would get voice, text and data on 2100 MHz. If outside of 2100 MHz 3G coverage then you'd roam onto AIS's 900 MHz legacy GSM network (for voice, text and data including 3G), or roam onto DTACs legacy 850 or 1800 MHz GSM network for voice, text and data including 3G), remembering that AIS's concession runs to 2015 and DTAC's to 2018.

In Japan I roam (using a Thai or U.S. SIM) onto Softbank's 2100 MHz 3G network.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The Nation had an article yesterday saying AIS had "soft launched" its 2100 Mhz 3G network in BKK and the main cities in 18 provinces.

I have a 2100 Mhz 3G capable smart phone, but when I scanned mobile networks at my BKK home this morning, I didn't see any mobile network named anything like AWN (Advanced Wireless Network), the AIS subsidiary that is running the new service.

I just saw the normal AIS mobile network entries for "TH GSM" and "TH GSM 1800." There were also entries for "52003" and "52004," but I'm presuming those belong to True Move H or related providers.

Any idea how the new AIS 3G 2100 Mhz network is going to be named/labeled?

Perhaps it's not showing up on my phone because some kind of new SIM from AIS is going to be necessary to see it?

[lomatopo]

^ TH 3G+?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

That's interesting, Loma...

When I checked this morning, I didn't get any TH 3G+ network showing on my 2100 Mhz 3G smartphone, here in central BKK.

[muratremix]

^ TH 3G+?

Its cat 3g (52001), not new true-n network.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's what I'm seeing now, same as this morning, in central BKK, on my 850, 1900, 2100 Mhz 3G phone.

[muratremix]

Ps. Cat 3g is 520-00 not 520-01 (typo)

Ais should be 520-3 and i guess 520-4 is dtac

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Tried registering my 850/2100 Mhz 3G mobile with an AIS SIM installed on both the 52003 and 52004 networks (whose ever those are), and it wouldn't connect on either.

[lomatopo]

Tried registering my 850/2100 Mhz 3G mobile with an AIS SIM installed on both the 52003 and 52004 networks (whose ever those are), and it wouldn't connect on either.

What exactly are you trying to accomplish?

You're not just going to be able to jump on AIS's new 2100 MHz 3G network until you've been provisioned.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

That was my guess, but I just wanted to see what would happen...especially since I had already "pre-registered" with AIS.

And mainly, trying to tell which of the various network names is the new AIS 3G one, which apparently isn't the TH 3G+ one you guessed above.

Dunno why all of a sudden all the new networks seem to be using the ambiguous, non-intuitive 52XXX naming conventions.

The old fashioned DTAC and True and TH GSM were a lot easier to follow.

[lomatopo]

I assume you'll have to configure a new APN?

I guess they are using the 52xxx identifiers prior to formal launch, to shield prying eyes; after the launch I assume they'll change the network broadcast names:

52003 – AIS

52004 – TrueMove

52005 – DTAC

[petedk]

3G on the 2100 mHz network hasn't started yet.

You have to register with AIS and you will receive an SMS when the service is available (mid May according to AIS staff)

Sent from my V972 Core4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[uhuh]

it has started for selected custmers

the registration process is a mess BTW

[petedk]

it has started for selected custmers

the registration process is a mess BTW

Why is it a mess?

I went to Serenade lounge and the guy took my mobile and passport. Dialled two numbers, waited for an SMS and finished. It took all of 30 seconds.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Yes, and what exactly did that get you?

"Pre-registration" and more waiting? Or real access right now to AIS coming 2100 Mhz 3G service?

You also made no mention of keeping or changing your SIM card(s).

[richsilver]

I stopped in to the AIS Serenade at Central Chidlom in Bangkok this morning. A customer service rep took my phone (Galaxy Note 2) and a copy of my passport.

He entered a bunch of stuff in his computer and some into my phone.

I currently have a 350 baht per month 3G plan (I'm a pre-paid) user. He told me this plan would be fine with the new 3G and everything will be automatic when the service begins next month. I will get an SMS and will have to re-start my phone.

That's all! It took about 10 minutes.

[petedk]

Yes, and what exactly did that get you?

"Pre-registration" and more waiting? Or real access right now to AIS coming 2100 Mhz 3G service?

You also made no mention of keeping or changing your SIM card(s).

As Richsilver says you keep the same sim card.

I didn't see the guy use his computer but he typed my passport number into my phone along with a long string of digits.

I understand that as soon as they send 3G on the 2100 Mhz band we will be able to use it.