Telenor Norway will make Thailand its fifth 4G country

[webfact]

Telenor will make Thailand its fifth 4G country
BY SINE NEUCHS THOMSEN



BANGKOK: -- Norway’s Telenor is ready to invest in fourth-generation mobile broadband service in Thailand due to “unexpectedly high” data revenue growth, Bangkok Post reported.

Thailand will be the fifth country after Norway, Sweden, Malaysia and Hungary where the Norwegian telecommunication company Telenor will provide 4G services. Telenor has experienced a strong growth in the revenue due to “crazy increase” in mobile data usage, thanks to the proliferation of smartphones and the availability of 3G services, Mr Brekke explained.

Telenor holds the major share of Total Access Communication (DTAC) in Thailand, and the demand on the Thai market has surprised the Telenor Goup in Asia.

“Thailand(via DTAC) contributed the largest proportion of revenue in Asia,” executive vice-president and head of Asia operations at Telenor Group Sigve Brekke said to Bangkok Post.

The strong growth in the revenue caused by a “crazy increase” in mobile data usage, has made Telenor decide to invest more in Thailand to stretch its 3G network across the country and furthermore increase the 4G internet penetration in big cities as well as rural areas.

“It’s time for us to provide 4G technology for data-hungry users in Thailand,”

Telenor also aims to roll out its 2G and 3G network in Myanmar by mid-2014 under an undisclosed investment once it receives a mobile license from the Myanmar government to provide services, expected by next month.

Source: http://scandasia.com/telenor-will-make-thailand-its-fifth-4g-country/

-- ScandAsia 2013-09-10

[Thai at Heart]

I thought dtac was a Thai company. Who are these foreigners telling a Thai company what to do?

[lomatopo]

^ Many companies are multi-national these days. Just look at Charoen Pokphand and SCG, among hundreds of successful Thai companies. which are expanded globally.

I assume DTAC will offer 4G/LTE on 1800 MHz spectrum, but this is a guess, as they have quite a bit of that frequency as a concession until 2018. There may be a 1800 MHz auction in 2014 assuming True returns their concession after an extra one year extension.

[Thai at Heart]

^ Many companies are multi-national these days. Just look at Charoen Pokphand and SCG, among hundreds of successful Thai companies. which are expanded globally.

I assume DTAC will offer 4G/LTE on 1800 MHz spectrum, but this is a guess, as they have quite a bit of that frequency as a concession until 2018. There may be a 1800 MHz auction in 2014 assuming True returns their concession after an extra one year extension.

Dtac is not multinational, it is Thai with a share structure that could be defined as Thai or foreign depending on the legal will of the day.

[LuckyLew]

Any chance they can help Thailand get a quality 3G network running in Thailand?

[fatfather]

The reliability of EDGE is still poor, so why speak about 4G?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

[EvilDrSomkid]

The reliability of EDGE is still poor, so why speak about 4G?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

Why invest in such slow and old technology? DTAC wants to set up 4G in Thailand and you complain?

True is the only one offering 4G now and that is in a very limited area.

[Time Traveller]

So I guess based upon the time for 3G rollout, the 4G service should begin around 2020.

[Chang_paarp]

Do they have permission to introduce 4G?

The authorities are still grappling with the 3G roll-out. They only issued the licences last year, everything before that was was "testing".

[lomatopo]

Dtac is not multinational

Sorry, I as referring to Telenor.

Do they have permission to introduce 4G?

They do not need permission. They are free to deploy mobile voice and data services on any/all spectrum they either rent or have a concession for: 850 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz. They have ~ 8,200 3G base-stations currently deployed: ~ 5,000 for 3G/850 and ~ 3,200 for 2100 MHz 3G. They also have ~ 12,000 GSM 1800 MHz base-stations, some of which can be software switched to 4G/LTE.

TrueMove H have deployed LTE/4G on some of their 2100 MHz spectrum.

DTAC shareholders on public record as of August 2, 2013; source is the SET.

** Full disclosure: I do not work for DTAC, Telenor, TrueMove H, CP Group, nor any telecomms company.

Edited September 10, 2013 by lomatopo

[fatfather]

The reliability of EDGE is still poor, so why speak about 4G?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

 

Why invest in such slow and old technology? DTAC wants to set up 4G in Thailand and you complain?

True is the only one offering 4G now and that is in a very limited area.

I definitely don't complain about 4G, but why hoping for high speed if I can see that even low speed isn't working. I live in the sticks and would be happy about any reliable internet connection.

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

[Namplik]

The Vikings rule

[Ee Ngo]

whats the name of telenors malaysian subsidiary?

edit: ok its digi http://www.telenor.com/about-us/global-presence/malaysia/

Edited September 10, 2013 by Ee Ngo

[atyclb]

The reliability of EDGE is still poor, so why speak about 4G?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

Why invest in such slow and old technology? DTAC wants to set up 4G in Thailand and you complain?

True is the only one offering 4G now and that is in a very limited area.

When did True actually initiate 4G service? 2 months ago I saw their "first 4g in Thailand" promo but in speaking with staff learned this was just selling 4G capable phones. Then you'd need to ask God for actual 4G service. The saleswoman didn't disagree in that it was misleading.

[lomatopo]

When did True actually initiate 4G service?

I think they launched the service in early May, so three months ago.

http://truemoveh.truecorp.co.th/truemoveh4g#pane04

[lee b]

4G wohoo

[thaidel48]

Still waiting for g3 to work anywhere other than in central Bangkok sigh.

[goloeilmanz]

I thought dtac was a Thai company. Who are these foreigners telling a Thai company what to do?

Telenor is Norwegian company, it's just called Dtac in Thailand.

www.telenor.no

[Thai at Heart]

I thought dtac was a Thai company. Who are these foreigners telling a Thai company what to do?

Telenor is Norwegian company, it's just called Dtac in Thailand.

www.telenor.no

Thanks newbie. Welcome to the forum.

First bit of homework. Go off and reead the foreign business act of Thailand.

[goloeilmanz]

I thought dtac was a Thai company. Who are these foreigners telling a Thai company what to do?

Telenor is Norwegian company, it's just called Dtac in Thailand.

www.telenor.no

Thanks newbie. Welcome to the forum.

First bit of homework. Go off and reead the foreign business act of Thailand.

Thanks for the warm welcome

Just stating the facts

[Thai at Heart]

I thought dtac was a Thai company. Who are these foreigners telling a Thai company what to do?

Telenor is Norwegian company, it's just called Dtac in Thailand.

www.telenor.no

Thanks newbie. Welcome to the forum.

First bit of homework. Go off and reead the foreign business act of Thailand.

Thanks for the warm welcome

Just stating the facts

It is 51% Thai with share classes. Has to be.

[goloeilmanz]

I thought dtac was a Thai company. Who are these foreigners telling a Thai company what to do?

Telenor is Norwegian company, it's just called Dtac in Thailand.

www.telenor.no

Thanks newbie. Welcome to the forum.

First bit of homework. Go off and reead the foreign business act of Thailand.

Thanks for the warm welcome

Just stating the facts

It is 51% Thai with share classes. Has to be.

I know, but there are never a rule without exeptions, TiT.

There are law-companies that specialize in these areas.

Anyway, my point is that Telenor is a Norwegian company and they have a "daughter company" or whatever you want to call it here in Thailand.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

I Norge kaller vi Telenor for Telehor

[techboy]

Any chance they can help Thailand get a quality 3G network running in Thailand?

Where are you located anyway? For years I have been getting excellent 3G speeds and coverage with DTAC. Even before the official 3G designation I have had 3G speeds when it was simply classified as WCDMA (3G is actually a sub catagory of WCDMA). I have not found the same excellence of service in either Singapore or Malaysia. Regardless of whether a country says that it has 4G this does not mean that the coverage is good nor can the networks provide it during high volume usage hours. Devices invariably shift down to Edge speeds.

[deesquared]

The reliability of EDGE is still poor, so why speak about 4G?

Fatfather

Sent from my phone

Why are you still on Edge?! Upgrade man!

[deesquared]

Any chance they can help Thailand get a quality 3G network running in Thailand?

Where are you located anyway? For years I have been getting excellent 3G speeds and coverage with DTAC. Even before the official 3G designation I have had 3G speeds when it was simply classified as WCDMA (3G is actually a sub catagory of WCDMA). I have not found the same excellence of service in either Singapore or Malaysia. Regardless of whether a country says that it has 4G this does not mean that the coverage is good nor can the networks provide it during high volume usage hours. Devices invariably shift down to Edge speeds.

I agree. My 3G works great. I've had it for 3 years now.

[deesquared]

Still waiting for g3 to work anywhere other than in central Bangkok sigh.

Works great for me all over Thailand.