How to upgrade a True InterSIM account to True-H

[KittenKong]

Anyone with a True InterSIM may have been receiving cryptic text messages in Thai referring to "TMV Upgrade".

What does it mean? Basically True's franchise is ending and is being replaced by True-H. But you can keep your number and your balance very easily.

You will probably need to get a new SIM card to use the new service. These are (apparently) available from 7/11s but I preferred to go along to my local True shop where they gave me a new SIM card for free and did the necessary to transfer my number and credit balance to the new service. This takes about 48 hours to happen and once the old SIM stops working you just pop the new SIM in and restart your phone. The network then shows as True-H.

About the only difference I can see between the old InterSIM and the new True-H account is that the validity of the new one only seems to be 60 days if you dont either make a top-up or an outgoing call. Previously the validity was always 365 days from the last top-up, which was my main reason for getting it in the first place.

So I now have to remember to make at least one outgoing call every 60 days to maintain validity of my balance. I'll probably just put an entry into my diary to do it on every first of the month.

People who dont live here all the time will need to think about first activating roaming on the account (I think they may have to do this whilst they are still in Thailand) and then of course they will still need to make the one outgoing call every 60 days from wherever they happen to be. But that way their number, card and credit balance should all still be maintained indefinitely for no charge apart from that one call every 60 days.

This new SIM and account also appear to give access to the True WIFI hotspot network in blocks of 480 minutes, though I havent checked so far whether this costs anything or not. Either way it may be handy if my own internet connection goes down.

[greatjob]

Hi,

One of my colleagues got the same TM upgrade (he sent an SMS with the number "1" to 90022 to speed up the process), he didn't have to do anything, neither to change his SIM card. One day, after receiving another TM upgrade SMS, he had to restart his phone and he was transferrred to TrueMove-H. You can test to see if the transfer is completed by calling 9305 and see if you can connect to the "promotion" number.

Very easy.

I think it is easy for reasonably new SIM card (within past 2-3 years), if you have a very old one, you may need to go to the True Shop to get an updated one for free.

Cheers,

GJ

Edited September 15, 2013 by greatjob

[lomatopo]

For those transitioning from TrueMove to TrueMove H are your phones 3G/2100 MHz compatible? Or 3G/850 MHz compatible? Or are you simply "roaming" back on the legacy GSM1800 MHz network?

Are you using data?

What promotion/plan do you have, re: cost per minute/SMS?

It seems like the NBTC has extended the TrueMove GSM1800 MHz concession for an additional year, until 15 Sep. 2014, so it's not exactly clear why they are migrating customers now? I guess if your phone is not 3G-850 or 2100 MHz compatible then you would, in theory, lose service on 15 Sep 2014, but until then you are roaming on the "old" GSM1800 network? Very strange.

First telecom concession expiry under new licensing regime occurs tomorrow

Usanee Mongkolporn,

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation

September 14, 2013 1:00 am

The expiration of TrueMove's and Digital Phone Co's concessions tomorrow marks the release of the first two slots of the precious 1,800-megahertz spectrum from a state concession system to be utilised under the new licensing regime.

The 1,800MHz spectrum can be used to provide fourth-generation wireless broadband service. However, telecom operators eager to use this spectrum will have to wait at least a year. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission agreed last month to permit TrueMove, DPC and their concession owner CAT Telecom to continue serving the companies' combined 17 million subscribers for one more year after the concessions end.

The NBTC has dismissed scholars' criticism that this amounts to an extension of the concession contracts, insisting it is merely a measure to prevent service disruption to consumers. It has also denied that it has moved too slowly in preparing for the expiry of the TrueMove and DPC concessions.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/First-telecom-concession-expiry-under-new-licensin-30214803.html

TrueMove 2G given one-year extension

Thailand’s regulator has passed the anticipated temporary consumer protection notification, giving TrueMove and DPC a further 12 months to operate their 1800-MHz concessions which end on 15 September 2013. The notification will come into force on 25 August.

TrueMove has an estimated 17 million customers still on its 2G network, while AIS subsidiary DPC has less than 100,000.

Under the new arrangement, all profit after expenses will be returned to the exchequer, not just the 30% revenue share.* A five-member audit committee will be set up to look into the finances with representatives from the ministry of finance, office of the attorney-general, one accountant, one economist and one representative from the NBTC.

http://www.telecomasia.net/content/truemove-2g-given-one-year-extension

* this explains the current transition.

[greatjob]

My thoughts are that if you are on TrueMove, they help you switch to TrueMove-H via SMS the same way AIS and DTAC are migrating their customers on their 3G 2100 Mhz or Trinet (via SMS).

Nothing surprising that TrueMove-H is already able to do that for a massive amount of numbers at once because their network on 850Mhz and 2100 Mhz is very developed.

My colleague is happy, it was a smooth transition!

GJ

[KittenKong]

I think it is easy for reasonably new SIM card (within past 2-3 years), if you have a very old one, you may need to go to the True Shop to get an updated one for free.

My existing card was only a couple of months old. I dont know whether the card change was actually necessary but the woman at the True shop wanted to do it and as I was free I didnt care.

My main reason for going to the shop was because no one I spoke to could understand the Thai language SMS messages that I had been receiving. I even got a Thai person to call True and after about 10 minutes of them talking to each other I still couldn't get a straightforward answer about validity and top-ups.

Anyone, in the end the change was simple and smooth so I'm not complaining and I should now be good for the next ten years (at which point I hope to still be using my current credit).

[KittenKong]

For those transitioning from TrueMove to TrueMove H are your phones 3G/2100 MHz compatible? Or 3G/850 MHz compatible? Or are you simply "roaming" back on the legacy GSM1800 MHz network?

My "phone" is a Galaxy Note 8 tablet. It's a brand new model so I expect it to be compatible with most things. The network shows as True-H.

Are you using data?

Never.

What promotion/plan do you have, re: cost per minute/SMS?

No idea. I hardly ever make outgoing calls or send SMSs so I dont really care.

It seems like the NBTC has extended the TrueMove GSM1800 MHz concession for an additional year, until 15 Sep. 2014, so it's not exactly clear why they are migrating customers now?

After I switched (!) True did send me an SMS in English saying that I could keep my existing True package and account until September 2014 as you say, but given that I had already changed that wasnt possible anyway. I expect they just want to switch people to get it done. Once people are set with something inertia makes them less likely to switch to another provider.

I also got another SMS a couple of days later telling me that I would be getting a free phone for having switched. Not bad for an account on which I have not topped-up more than 300B over 3 years.

[lomatopo]

Nothing surprising that TrueMove-H is already able to do that for a massive amount of numbers at once because their network on 850Mhz and 2100 Mhz is very developed.

Agreed, but the challenge is that most (~ 90%?) of TrueMove's 17 million customers are rural, low ARPU, pre-paid - based on their legacy as the "value" provider, and they do not have 3G (850/2100) compatible phones. So I assume that they are either targeting 3G compatible users, based on their IMEI, for transition, or are allowing people to "roam" back on the legacy GSM1800 network.

I also got another SMS a couple of days later telling me that I would be getting a free phone for having switched

Maybe they are giving away free 3G compatible phones for use on CAT/TrueMove H's 850 MHz, or their own 2100 MHz 3G network?

Edited September 16, 2013 by lomatopo

[KittenKong]

My tablet tells me:

Network Type: HSDPA:9

Network: True-H

Not roaming.

And Samsung's spec for my model says:

2G EDGE / GPRS (850 / 900 / 1,800 / 1,900MHZ)

3G HSPA+ (850 / 900 / 1,900 / 2,100)

The free phone offer could certainly be designed for those who dont have a suitable phone, though I wonder why they offered it to me?