3G Internet Thailand News

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3G hopes face new legal hurdle
Union wants CAT to ask court to halt licence bid
Published: 9/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News

Thailand's hopes for third generation mobile phone services face another potential legal obstacle after CAT Telecom's labour union said it will pressure the company to file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court to stop the auction of 3G licences on Sept 20.



The court yesterday dismissed a lawsuit by the union to stall the process on the grounds that the union was not directly damaged and therefore did not have the right to file the case.

The union claimed in its lawsuit that the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) did not have the authority to organise the auction. It sought provisional legal protection for CAT Telecom while its petition was being heard in court.

The Administrative Court said in its ruling yesterday the CAT union was not directly damaged by the auction. The union was merely a juristic body that was set up to protect the interests of employees, not of the company.

Both the private mobile phone operators and the national telecom regulator expressed relief after learning of the court's ruling.


See also: 3G Expo proceeds as CAT opts to sit out

The 3G bid is scheduled to kick off on Sept 20 with three market leaders _ Advanced Info, Total Access Communications and True Move _ taking part.

"The ruling means that the auction can now go on without interruption," said an executive of a telecom operator.

However, CAT union leader Sukhum Chuenmana said CAT Telecom could still exercise its legal right as a directly damaged party even though the Administrative Court had dismissed the union's case.

The union will pressure the company's board to file a lawsuit. It will also discuss whether it should petition the Ombudsman's Office to ask the Constitution Court to rule whether NTC had the legal authority to organise the 3G auction.

The union believed the authority belonged to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which is due to be formed when the Frequency Allocation bill is passed into law.

It would also ask the board to seek provisional legal protection from the court if the lawsuit was accepted.

Both TOT Plc and CAT Telecom stand to be hit hard if 3G mobile phone licences are issued. Their core revenue comes from 2G concession holders now competing for the 3G licences.

If the court agrees to the request to grant legal protection for CAT, the Sept20 action would be put on hold.

Both the TOT and CAT unions strongly oppose the 3G auction, reasoning their organisations could face a financial crisis if the winning bidders shift customers to the new 3G system.

TOT and CAT are banned from entering the contest under the NTC's 3G auction rules.

TOT has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow to discuss its business plan but its president, Varut Suvakorn, said the board had yet to decide on whether to file the lawsuit.

NTC commissioner Natee Sukolrat said the CAT union's move was just another tactic to derail the auction.

The NTC would go ahead with the bid, Col Natee said.

NTC vice secretary Prasert Apipunya welcomed the court ruling saying it helped to clear up legal doubts about the auction process as many people had tried to stop the bidding by suing the NTC. Most suits have have so far been dismissed by the courts.

The only lawsuit still pending in court was filed by Win Win NGV. The company was disqualified for failing to produce a letter of intent, bank guarantees and a 1.28 billion baht cash deposit required to back its application for a 3G licence.

Supha Piyajitti, State Enterprise Policy Office director, said if the TOT and CAT boards brought their cases to the Administrative Court, the move would set a standard for state enterprises to bring unresolved disputes for rulings.

He said the dispute over the 2G spectrum raged on. The NTC wanted to reclaim the 2G phone frequencies but CAT had argued it should retain the frequencies if its 2G concession was terminated.

The Finance Ministry is proposing the replacement of the 2G mobile concessions CAT and TOT have issued to private operators with new licences being valid for 15 years _ the same period as those to be issued under 3G.

It wants the NTC and the government to move in parallel on 3G licensing and concession conversion to achieve their goals at the same time this month when the NTC auctions the 3G licences.

Presently, three mobile operators are providing 2G cellular service under the concessions of TOT and CAT. The concessions are due to expire over the next three to eight years.

[Admin]

Court plans to appoint judge panel for 3G ruling
Published: 16/09/2010 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News
The Administrative Court has finished hearing a case filed by CAT Telecom against the National Telecommunications Commission seeking temporary suspension of the 3G licence auction scheduled to begin next Monday.

The court did not hand down a ruling but will appoint a panel of judges to wrap up all inquiries before making a final judgement.

The judgement will be notified to each party by today or tomorrow.

Yesterday's hearing lasted more than two hours. CAT executives led by president Jirayuth Roongsrithong and the NTC testified separately in a closed-door session.

Before entering the chamber, Mr Jirayuth said CAT had no intention of delaying 3G technology development because it is also a supporter of the 3G trial services of DTAC and True Move.

"But we want clarity on the NTC's authority. We deem it a defiance of the constitution if it holds the auction for the 3G spectrum, which should be under the sole authority of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission," he said.

Mr Jirayuth said CAT would suffer a loss of revenue if there was no ruling by the court on the suspension of the auction.

It would also be unfair to future frequency allocations.

He said if the NTC went ahead with the auction, damages would be inflicted on investors who had paid licence fees and other expenses.

CAT is contemplating filing the case with the Constitution Court if its attempt at the Administrative Court fails.

In the defence session, two NTC commissioners, Col Natee Sukolrat and Sudharm Yoonaidharm, explained the auction procedure in detail. They insisted everything was done in compliance with laws and regulations.

After hearing testimony from both parties, the court said the ruling would be notified to them soon.

Meanwhile, TOT said it would file a similar case with the Administrative Court tomorrow seeking temporary suspension of the auction.

TOT board member Djitt Laowattana said the board had given its management freedom to bring the case to court.

Yesterday the Administrative Court rejected an earlier petition that TOT filed against the NTC for issuing an announcement on interconnection deals with DTAC and for imposing a fine of 60,000 baht a day for a violation of its order to interconnect their networks.

The court said the NTC's announcement was in conformity with the law and did not violate the constitution.

[Admin]

CAT wins fight to stall Thai 3G auction 
Bangkok Post: 17 Sep 2010
CAT wins fight to kill 3G auction
Court rules NTC has no right to offer licences

Thailand's effort to join the 3G communications era was crippled Thursday when a court ruled against an auction for licences that was to be held on Monday.

In a late evening decision, the Administrative Court ruled in favour of CAT Telecom's call for an injunction to suspend bids for 3G licences at an auction to be held by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in Pran Buri.

The court backed arguments by CAT Telecom executives, led by president Jirayuth Roongsrithong, that the NTC has no authority to hold the auction.

The NTC said it would appeal against the ruling tomorrow. But executives admitted the 3G auction will have to be cancelled if the court's decision is not reversed in time.

"If the court accepts our appeal, we should be able to carry on with the auction. If not, the NTC will immediately cancel it," said Col Natee Sukonrat, NTC commissioner and head of the 3G auction project.

Mr Jirayuth said he did not think the NTC can hold the 3G auction as it will have to wait for the court to consider its appeal.

There was also the question of Thailand's other major telecommunications provider, TOT, pressing ahead with a similar case against the NTC after seeing Thursday's result.

The Administrative Court ruled that the licensing of the 3G spectrum must wait until the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is formed.

The establishment of the NBTC is stipulated in the frequency allocation bill, which is pending final approval by the House of Representatives.

The bill was approved by the House in March. It was later endorsed by the Senate but with several amendments, including an increase in the number of NBTC board members from 11 to 15.

The bill has to be further scrutinised by the joint committee of the House and Senate. It is expected to be returned to the House over the next few months for final approval.

The court stated the NTC's attempt at 3G regulation through the auctioning of the licences could pose a problem for the NBTC's operations.

One industry source said: "This is going to be bigger than Map Ta Phut [in terms of investor confidence]. Everyone was waiting for this auction. Everyone was preparing to invest. Now what will happen?"

AIS chief Wichian Mektrakarn said the key issue now is whether the NTC will be able to appeal against the injunction in time.

"This should not affect the country's image because the NTC is bound to file an appeal. The private sector only has to follow the NTC's policy," Mr Wichian said.

Tore Johnsen, CEO of DTAC, said he was "disappointed by the court ruling as Thailand needs 3G now to increase the country's competitiveness". He said DTAC had fully supported 3G and been well prepared to get a licence.

Suphachai Chearavanont, CEO of True Corp, said he felt disappointed by the injunction. "I only hope that the appeal will allow the process to move forward. If the auction is put off indefinitely, it means the country will be going backwards."

According to Mr Supachai, the decision will significantly set back the industry's efforts to develop and encourage a new level playing field. It will also undermine the country's infrastructural competitiveness.

He acknowledged that True Move would lose the opportunity to compete with rivals in a fairer competition under a new licensing regime.

Mr Suphachai also denied speculation that True Corp was behind the attempt to disrupt the 3G auction.

"We are the most disappointed firm to hear the ruling. We are ready and destined to win a 3G licence," he said.

Thana Thienachariya, DTAC's chief strategy and corporate affairs officer, also expressed deep sorrow for the telecommunications industry as he felt the sector is now "helpless and with no future".

ICT Minister Juti Krairiksh said he was confident a 3G auction would take place within this year. "The NTC will have to file an appeal to the Administrative Court. I believe the process will not take too long. There is no doubt the NTC will solve this problem promptly and carry on with the mission. It's still the government's policy to push for 3G development," Mr Juti said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/196675/cat-wins-fight-to-kill-3g-auction
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TOT files case against NTC

* Published: 17/09/2010 at 12:27 PM
* Online news: Breakingnews

The TOT Plc on Friday filed a lawsuit with the Central Administrative Court calling for an injunction to suspend a 3G auction called by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Pran Buri district on Monday.

TOT said in the lawsuit, which is similar to the one filed by CAT Telecom, that NTC is not authorised to hold the 3G auction.

It took the same legal action against the NTC after the Central Administrative Court on Thursday ruled in favour of CAT Telecom's call for an injunction to suspend the 3G auction.

The NTC board, meanwhile, resolved in its meeting on Friday morning to appeal against the injunction in the afternoon.

Col Natee Sukolrat, an NTC board member, said the court will be asked to hold emergency examination of the appeal.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/196777/tot-files-case-against-ntc

[Admin]

CAT forges ahead after stalling 3G 
The Nation: 25 Sep 2010
Cat Telecom forges ahead in wake of 3G ruling
By Usanee Mongkolpron
The Nation
Published on September 25, 2010

CAT Telecom will develop new businesses quickly to boost revenue, seizing the opportunity after the 3G2.1GHz spectrum licence auction has been put on hold by order of the Supreme Administrative Court, chief executive officer Jirayuth Rungsrithong said yesterday.

CAT will develop its fibre optic broadband service project worth Bt6 billion and expand its code division multiple access (CDMA) 2000 1x cellular network in 51 provinces at a cost of Bt3.8 billion.

It also plans to acquire CDMA networks in 25 provinces from Hong Kong telecom operator Hutchison Telecom and its related businesses in Thailand for a total budget of Bt7.5 billion.

The Cabinet in April gave the nod to the CAT takeover plan on a budget of Bt7.5 billion, of which Bt7.2 billion is for the acquisition and the rest is for takeover procedures.

CAT wants to merge the CDMA networks in 25 provinces with its own network in 51 provinces.

Jirayuth said Hutchison Telecom had written off the CDMA network but it still has higher bargaining power than CAT, so the deal depends on Hutchison Telecom's decision to sell or not to sell the network to CAT.

Hutchison Telecom's wholly owned firm BFKT owns the CDMA network in the 25 provinces, which is being leased by HutchisonCAT Wireless Multimedia to provide CDMA cellular service under the Hutch brand and under a marketing contract granted by CAT. HutchisonCAT is a joint venture of CAT and Hutchison Telecom.

The Supreme Administrative Court ruled on Thursday to suspend the plan of the National Telecommunications Commission to auction licences for third generation broadband service on the 2.1gigahertz spectrum until the CAT challenge of the NTC's licensing authority at the Central Administrative Court reaches finality.

Those who are eager to use the 3G2.1GHz service have bombarded CAT with fierce criticism for delaying of the availability of licences.

Jirayuth said the CAT board felt that CAT did not do anything wrong by taking its the case to the court according to the law. The board views that CAT is a victim of public criticism.

He added that to the contrary, CAT has supported its private concession holders TrueMove and Total Access Communication (DTAC) to provide 3G service on the existing 850megahertz spectrum, though at this stage the service being offered is on a noncommercial trial basis.


TrueMove and DTAC are both waiting for the permission of two state panels to provide commercial 3G service on 850MHz. Jirayuth said CAT would ask the two panels next week to speed up the process.

He denied the claim by the NTC that CAT and TOT had asked for NTC permission to allow both cellular operators to launch 3G service on 850MHz, a move that suggests CAT and TOT do not recognise the NTC's licensing authority.

He said CAT just asked for NTC permission for TrueMove and DTAC to upgrade the network from second generation to 3G technology to provide the more advanced service, and did not request of new spectra for them.

He said he hoped the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission could get off the ground soon to grant the 3G licences, so that CAT would no longer be blamed for causing the licensing delay.

[Admin]

Thai govt eyes cheap broadband access 
Bangkok Post: 1 Oct 2010
Cheap broadband eyed
Public and private sectors urged to join

The government has told the two state telecom enterprises and private operators to get behind a national low-cost broadband project instead of worrying about when or if 3G licences will become a reality.

The goal should be to make broadband internet available for as little as 150 to 200 baht a month to as many people as possible in all parts of the country, said Juti Kririksh, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) minister.

Mr Juti made his pitch yesterday at a press conference attended by the heads of TOT Plc and CAT Telecom, saying all parties involved in planning for 3G should now shift their focus to a single broadband network.

He said that third-generation wireless services were only part of the national broadband project to expand high-speed internet services nationwide.

"We're pushing for this policy as we don't want to get stuck with the 3G thing [that didn't happen]," said Mr Juti, referring to the court-ordered suspension of a 3G licence auction pending clarification of regulatory authority.

The ministry envisions combining the telecom networks of the three state electricity enterprises, TOT and CAT and the top three private mobile operators into a single network national telecom highway.

The goal is to expand broadband network coverage to 80% of population by 2015 and 95% in 2020. Monthly fees should be no more than 2% of people's incomes or around 150-200 baht, compared with the current service fees of 599 baht a month or 6%.

Mr Juti said his ministry was drafting a master plan to propose to a broadband committee headed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva before submitting it to the cabinet for approval.

To support the broadband project, Mr Juti said the two state telecom enterprises would push their 13-billion-baht next generation network (NGN) project, submarine cable infrastructure, and a 6-billion-baht fibre-to-the-home network expansion to accommodate multimedia data usage.

TOT president Varut Suvakorn said TOT planned to introduce NGN services in 100 areas in Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phitsanulok provinces as a pilot project. Speeds would be 2 megabits per second at 200 baht a month, he said.

CAT president Jirayuth Roongsrithong said CAT was preparing to expand its broadband capacity by 20% in industrial zones in eastern and western provinces. It is also increasing the number of its WiFi locations to 35,000 nationwide.

He said the broadband project was part of Thailand's ICT master plan II to develop the industry, covering broadband, conversion of mobile-phone concessions and wireless communications industry development.

The ministry will present a draft national broadband policy to the cabinet this month.

It is proposing to extend broadband coverage across the nation within two years via the services of TOT and CAT.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/199092/cheap-broadband-eyed
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TOT: 3G by April 2011

State-run TOT Plc plans to provide 3G broadband services by April next year, TOT managing director Warut Suwakorn said on Thursday.

"TOT is now procuring the network equipment and the setup is expected to be complete within three months," Mr Warut said.

He said the service should be launched within six months, as set by the Information and Communication Technology Ministry.

Krung Thai Bank had initially offered to provide financial consulting services to TOT, while Kasikornbank had offered to provide loans to the state telecom enterprise.

TOT was also considering obtaining foreign loans from Standard Charter, Barclay and Ericson State banks.

"A positive thing about getting foreigns loans is that they are low interest and the payment period is seven years. However, the baht's value is always changing," Mr Warut said.

The managing director said his company would welcome an alliance with Advance Info Service (AIS) in the 3G project and take part in the marketing strategy as a virtual network operator (VNO).

Information and Communication Technology Minister Juti Krairiksh

ICT Minister Juti Krairiksh said TOT's 3G project had immense benefits and the procurement needed to be examined thoroughly while the auction must be open to all bidders.

"The first 3G base station must be operational before April next year," Mr Juti said.

He said the ministry wanted TOT to allow foreign firms that do not have offices in Thailand to take part in the auction, so foreign investors can bring in their money to the country immediately.

On CAT Telecom Plc's 7.5 billion baht plan for Hutchison CAT Wireless Multimedia Ltd, Mr Juti said he had instructed CAT Telecom chief executive officer Jirayuth Rungsrithong to hold talks with Hutchison and submit a proposal to the cabinet within one month.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/199021/tot-3g-by-april-2010

[Admin]

3G to be in service by Q2/2011

BANGKOK, 1 November 2010 (NNT) - After a long delay, the TOT has finally decided to speed up the process for the 3G bidding, saying the first phase will be in service by the second quarter of next year.

The TOT board will grant a permit to only one lowest bidder to operate the third-generation telecommunication service( 3G) for the whole country. The TOT said the system was very complicated and should, therefore, be operated by only one company, which will be required to use the same equipment throughout the nation.

According to the TOT, AIS and True Move have already sent their subsidiary companies to join the TOT in operating the 3G service. The two companies are acting as Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) for the time being.

The Terms of Reference (TOR) have been completed and are now under the Attorney General Office’s consideration. The bidding will take place in December, and the name of the winning company will be announced in January next year.

The service is planned in three phases. The first phase, in which the service will be provided in important areas, is expected to be available in the second quarter of 2011. Service in the second phase will be provided for Bangkok, four surrounding provinces, and 13 other economic provinces; it should be in operation within 180 days after the first phase has been in place.

The third and final stage, which will cover the whole country, will be completed within 4 years. The TOT has expected that the 3G service will be able to support up to seven million numbers.

[Admin]

TOT wins backing for national 3G launch 
Asia Property Report: 16 Nov 2010
TOT wins backing for 3G launch

TOT's 19.98-billion baht nationwide 3G network project, fully backed by the government, is progressing smoothly with the latest assurance from the Information and Communications Technology Minister Juthi Krairiksh that bidding will be open and called within the next two weeks and service can start in six months.

The nod came after the minister met executives of TOT and CAT Telecom about accelerating their projects to meet the government's timetable.

Mr Juthi said he was assured by the TOT boss that it will start selling bidding documents for the construction of its 3G network on Nov 28 to meet the government's timetable for the construction of the first station, allowing actual service within six months.

He said TOT eased several tight conditions under the ministry's advice to pave the way for free competition in the bidding. One of these is that any bidder can join a Thai company to enter a bid, as previously a bidder had to be registered in the country for at least one year.

Another change is previously TOT required a bidder to have worked with a Thai government agency on projects in excess of 1 billion baht, he said. That value has been lowered to 500 million baht and can include overseas projects if it is certified by the embassy of the country the work was conducted in.

The ICT minister said he was confident the bidding would be more competitive and would encourage more small companies to enter the bidding.

He said TOT earlier claimed its tight conditions would screen only credible and potential bidders, making sure work was completed smoothly and on time. He said he would await TOT's final terms of reference to decide on whether he would suggest further changes.

"If TOT attempts to defer the issuance of its terms of reference and further delays the project, it could be interpreted that they wanted a new minister to change the conditions," he said.

TOT plans to finish in phases the construction of 4,772 base stations and roll out service within six months after signing the network procurement and installation contracts.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/206582/tot-wins-backing-for-3g-launch

[Admin]

dtac Announces Data Plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G in Thailand
- The Nation 2010-12-02

dtac announced it will offer dedicated data plans for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G in Thailand beginning December 3.

All data plans will be available without a contract, providing the freedom to activate or cancel a plan at any time.

iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad's revolutionary Multi-Touch user interface. iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models are just 0.5 inches thick and weigh just 1.6 pounds - thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and deliver up to 10 hours of battery life for surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching videos or listening to music, and up to nine hours of surfing the web using a 3G data network.*

"We are excited to launch data plans for iPad which is a highly anticipated device among Thai consumers," said Pakorn Pannachet, Senior Vice President - Products Division, Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (dtac). "With dtac's superior data-oriented network, we believe customers will enjoy using the full range of features from this amazing device."

For further information on iPad internet plans, please visit www.dtac.co.th/ipad.

For more information about iPad please visit www.apple.com/ipad.

[Admin]

AirAsia 'Tune Talk' Thailand 3G venture 
Bangkok Post: 13 Dec 2010
AirAsia flies into 3G whirlwind
Fernandes promises region-wide service

AirAsia is jumping into the telecom business in Thailand with the aim of revolutionising the industry under the tagline "Now Everyone Can Talk".

Asia's largest low-cost airline signed a 49:51 joint-venture deal last week with a group of Thai investors to establish Tune Talk Thailand Co.

The company, with 100 million baht in registered capital, will provide 3G wireless broadband services on behalf of TOT Plc, with the planned debut of its Tune brand on Jan 13.

Tony Fernandes, the founder and CEO of AirAsia, said his entry into the Thai mobile market was intended to create a new value-added lifestyle and low-cost communications service with "one SIM card, one flat calling rate throughout the region".

"We have the necessary elements for success - solid distribution channel and the extensive customer base of AirAsia - to make our mobile expansion in Thailand gain a greater foothold in the region," he said.

AirAsia expects to carry 33 million passengers on Asian routes this year, 12 million of whom are inbound and outbound passengers in Thailand. It wants 51 million passengers in the region in 2011.

Tune Talk will use the Celcom (Malaysia) network in the region.

AirAsia, known for the slogan "Now Everyone Can Fly", has also invested in a no-frills hotel business to develop Tune hotels throughout the region.

Tune Talk will market 3G services on behalf of TOT as a so-called mobile virtual network operator (MVNO).

Mr Fernandes said he planned to apply AirAsia's strategy to make wireless data usage more accessible.

The company plans to focus on providing no-frills voice roaming and a seamless data package in a simple, value-for-money product with attractive incentives, easy accessibility and the widest distribution reach.

"We are confident in the Thai market now that TOT has set a clear 3G business direction, and AirAsia is the first company in Thailand with strong MVNO experience," he said.

He shrugged off any concerns over telecom legal hurdles and ambiguous regulations, saying AirAsia had had its share of experience with bureaucracy because of the nature of the airline business, which it considers the most complicated industry in the world.

He also believes his timing is perfect. With the 3G expansion plan of TOT still not clear, he sees it as a good opportunity for the company.

Tom Kruesophon, the managing director of Tune Talk Thailand, said he believed that bringing foreign operators to join TOT's 3G plan was the only way for the state telecom enterprise to survive.

The company plans to spend 300 million baht on marketing and administration under a three-phase budget plan.

Mr Tom said its target customers were existing AirAsia flyers, tablet-computer users and an underserved segment who have never used data services.

"We expect to have 500,000 subscribers within 18 months of operation, and 1 million customers by 2012," Mr Tom said.

Tune Talk is aiming for average revenue per user of 150-200 baht per month. About 500,000 customers are needed for profitability, he added.

Tune Talk plans to sell MVNO SIM cards on AirAsia planes. Customers can redeem Tune Talk points for free AirAsia flights as part of its promotional campaign, Mr Tom said.

Tune Talk Thailand, through TKC Co, has received an MVNO licence from the National Telecommunications Commission.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/211031/airasia-flies-into-3g-whirlwind

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TOT 3G plan on schedule

Despite the sudden removal of TOT Plc's president, its board pledges that its 19-billion-baht 3G wireless broadband nationwide network will go ahead on schedule, says chairman Areepong Bhoocha-oom.

The board of the state telecom enterprise last week decided to terminate the employment of president Varut Suvakorn, raising worries about further delays in planned 3G supplier bids, previously delayed from Nov 29 to mid-December.

The delay in the auction because of changes in the bid terms was mentioned as one of main reasons for the board's dissatisfaction with Mr Varut.

Mr Areepong said the board was demanding to see improvements in TOT's efficiency so that it could stand up to heavy industry current competition, so change at the helm was inevitable.

Mr Varut is still in his post until Jan 8, but his management duties will be limited.

The board designated one of its directors, Boonmark Sirinaovakul to handle legal documents until Mr Varut's final day. Then, it will appoint someone of the senior management as acting president until the selection process ends.

"Until we find the new president, the board agrees to be fully hands-on in the state telecom enterprise network expansion to make sure it meets the schedule," said Mr Areepong.

The board also insisted it could sign contracts with the winning bidders by February, even though the bid may be delayed.

One member of the board who declined to be named said Mr Varut would have been ousted even earlier but the directors were worried at the time that this would have put the 3G project even further behind schedule.

"There were a lot of issues that the board was unhappy with but the main issue was the 3G project's bidding terms. TOT and the the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology disagreed on the bidders' qualification terms," added the member of the board.

Mr Varut, who had been working on a six-month contract, would be offered six months' compensation payment plus one month's salary in lieu of advance notice.

TOT plans to open bids for the installation of 4,772 3G nodes and co-site infrastructure that will be built to link with 2,392 base stations of Advanced Info Service and 137 of CAT telecom.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/211032/

[Admin]

DTAC hails approval for 3G expansion 
 
Bangkok Post: 25 Dec 2010
DTAC hails long-delayed approval for 3G expansion

DTAC yesterday hailed the decision by CAT Telecom to approve the company's long-delayed network upgrade for non-commercial 3G wireless broadband services.

"The approval will give DTAC the opportunity to finally offer our customers the experience of 3G," said chief executive officer Tore Johnsen.

The board of the state telecom enterprise on Thursday made an about-face and approved the company's expansion of trial services to 1,220 cell sites from only 36 now, after a two-year delay.

Mr Johnsen said DTAC saw the approval as a sign that the government wanted 3G to happen in Thailand.

Utilisation of existing frequencies would now be given priority while the industry waits for the establishment of a new regulator, the National Telecommunications and Broadcasting Commission (NBTC), and an auction for commercial 3G licences on the 2.1GHz spectrum, he added.

"DTAC's goal is obviously to be allowed to offer the 3G services on a commercial basis and we therefore hope that the decision on this will be taken soon," he said.

"We also sincerely hope that necessary regulatory approvals from the NBTC will follow.

DTAC has 20.9 million subscribers.

DTAC shares closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 43.50 baht, up 3.6%, in trade worth 370.6 million baht

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/213056/dtac-hails-long-delayed-approval-for-3g-expansion
 

[Admin]

DTAC Gears Up for 3G Test Run
Tan Network 2011-01-20

Telecom operator DTAC will be offering trial services for third-generation, or 3G, mobile phone service in Bangkok in the third quarter of this year.

Thana Thienachariya, the executive vice president for Corporate Affairs and Chief Strategy Officer of Total Access Communication company, or DTAC, is expecting that it will take a long time to fully establish the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, or NBTC.

He is concerned that the delay will be an obstacle to growth in the telecommunications industry, which is an important industry to the country.

Thana added that DTAC is preparing to offer its third-generation, or 3G phone service on a trial basis in Bangkok.

The service is expected to be available in the third quarter of this year.

DTAC won approval by the board of CAT Telecom company at the end of December last year to run a trial 3G service on the 850 MHz spectrum using High Speed Data Packet Access technology at 1,220 base stations.

[Admin]

3G auction to go ahead despite possible lawsuits
By SIRIVISH TOOMGUM,
USANEE MONGKOLPORN
The Nation 2011-01-26

A telecom industry source, while declining to elaborate, said 'an attempt' was also being made to delay the auction.

According to a primary qualification examination by TOT, the SL consortium of Loxley, Samart, Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei Technologies and the AU consortium of Advanced Information Technology, Alcatel-Lucent (Thailand) and United Communication Industry are the two qualified bidders. The two disqualified bidders are the Ericsson-AS Associate Engineering (1964) and Forth Corp-ZTE consortia.

TOT informed Ericsson's consortium on January 14 and Forth-ZTE on January 19 about their preliminary disqualifications and gave them three days after the notifications to appeal against the ruling. If TOT did not consider their appeals, that would amount to final disqualification.

Both have petitioned the Prime Minister's Office and the Information and Communications Technology Ministry on the matter.

Another telecom industry source said the Ericsson consortium had considered bringing the case to the court.

Given that this is TOT's biggest project in many years, no potential bidder wants to miss the chance to take part. Samart Corp is eager to clinch the whole project, which would help boost its ICT business revenue by Bt6 billion this year.

ZTE (Thailand) managing director Zhang Xioake said yesterday that ZTE would bring the case to the court once it was officially informed by TOT that it is disqualified. But he declined to provide details as it is consulting a lawyer on the case.

According to ZTE, it was disqualified because of its proposal for core capacity of the network higher than required by the bid's Terms of Reference (TOR). Last Friday, the company submitted an appeal to TOT to confirm its full compliance with the TOR.

"It's not a mistake to provide more than the TOR," Zhang said.

Also last Friday, ZTE petitioned the PM's Office, the ICT Ministry and the TOT board that the result was unfair to ZTE and the qualifications of some bidders were doubtful, which should not be ignored by TOT. It added that more consortia competing in the bid would benefit TOT.

Earlier, there was a rumour that Samart's qualifications contradicted the TOR, which bans companies doing business in competition with TOT from joining the bid. Samart president Watchai Vilailuck argued that the company had never competed with TOT.

China's ZTE has set a revenue target for its Thai subsidiary of US$160 million (Bt4.95 billion) this year, compared with ZTE Thailand's revenue of $55 million last year.

When asked if it could meet the revenue target if it fails to take part in the TOT 3G project, Zhang said the company would try its best to meet the goal. He added that there was huge business opportunity in the mobile and broadband network markets here.

The TOT panel disqualified the Ericsson-led consortium for the absence of catalogues for antenna-related products in its proposal.

Ericsson Thailand sent three letters last week to TOT to clarify the case, one of which asked why that apparent oversight had not been raised during a meeting with TOT representatives on January 14 to discuss the Ericsson proposal. The consortium should have been notified of this matter during the meeting so that it could rectify the situation, it argued.

[Admin]

CAT hands True 3G windfall
By Usanee Mongkolporn
The Nation 2011-01-28

State firm denies any breach of regulations in awarding deals; court rejects plea for stay on TOT's 3G auction today

The 3G-licensing saga took a new twist yesterday with True Corp becoming the sole operator to be awarded the rights to a 3G-service roll-out.

Meanwhile, the future of other private operators hinges on TOT's e-auction for the 3G2.1GHz network today after the Central Administrative Court last night rejected the petition by the disqualified Ericsson-led consortium for a stay on the auction.

CAT Telecom yesterday awarded deals to two of True Corp's wholly owned subsidiaries for joint development of the 3G wireless broadband services nationwide.

The partnership paves the way for CAT-True to take the lead in providing 3G service and will come as a relief to True.

True's concession with CAT will end in 2013, forcing it to urgently seek deals to sustain its mobile-phone business.

Operating profit

The CAT deals will also enable True's wireless business led by TrueMove to report an operating profit for the first time in the next few years, True CEO Supachai Chearavanont told a press conference.

The only obstacles to that are lingering legal doubts concerning the cancellation of CAT's purchase of Hutchison Telecom's Thai operations, the emergence of True as the potential buyer, and the joint development deal between CAT and True. Given that all of this took place after the National Telecommunications Commission's 3G auction was abruptly suspended last September, questions have been raised over whether the process is entirely legal.

CAT and True executives yesterday expressed their shared view that the deal did not contradict any laws.

CAT senior executives have already submitted a request to the ICT Ministry to consider if the joint development needs to be regulated by the 1992 Public-Private Joint Venture Act.

CAT chief executive officer Jirayuth Rungsrithong believes this will not be necessary, saying the project is not a joint venture.

Both Supachai and Jirayuth had reasons for wanting the deal to be concluded quickly.

'No change in deals'

The former said that the deals with CAT must be clinched this month, as the exclusive rights for True subsidiaries Real Move and Real Future to buy four Hutchison subsidiaries in Thailand, including BFKT, will end.

He said he did not expect any change to the deals, even after the election.

Jirayuth said that the rush is necessary, to stop CAT Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) business from further bleeding. The business has suffered loss of Bt1 billion every year, due to the complication in the business structure.

The chief said that instead of loss, CDMA would generate Bt2 billion in annual revenue. CAT staff, however, raised doubts about the chief's projection.

The deals would be submitted to the board of directors for acknowledgement today, Jirayuth said. Though the board had just approved the agency's 3G business plan last week, Jirayuth claimed that the board allowed the management to sign the deals once the document is ready.

12 contracts

Both CAT and True signed 12

contracts yesterday, starting at 7.45am.

After the signing, Real Move will oversee 800,000 customers of CAT on its CDMA network in 25 provinces for two years, during which CAT will convert the network to 3G-High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology. The CDMA network has generated around Bt4.3 billion revenue per year with expenses of Bt3.8 billion.

Supachai said Real Future would spend between Bt5 billion to Bt6 billion on installing the 3G-HSPA radio-active equipment on CAT's two separate CDMA networks nationwide. Then CAT will lease such HSPA equipment from

Real Future to provide wholesale service.

True chief finance officer Noppadol Dej-udom said that True would break even from this investment within 6-7 years.

The planned HSPA network is expected to draw 2 million customers within two years, of which the first group will be existing customers on the CDMA network in 25 provinces.

CAT also granted the deal to Real Move to resell the planned HSPA service for 14 years. While CAT and True executives declined to specify the details of the deal, Supachai said Real Move could offer the service to customers at a reasonable price based on the effective cost.

Meanwhile, Supachai assured about 1,000 employees of Hutchison yesterday that they would not be laid off after the takeover.

At a glance

Details of the four main contracts CAT granted to Real Move and Real Future yesterday.

- Real Move to oversee about 800,000 CAT customers on the CDMA network in 25 provinces for two years, during which time it will share 20 per cent of the revenue from the CDMA cellular service with CAT.

- Real Future to install HSPA equipment on the two CDMA networks nationwide.

- CAT will lease from Real Future the HSPA equipment to provide a wholesale 3G service.

- Real Move will resell the HSPA service for 14 years. CAT and True declined to specify further details.

[Admin]

Thai 3G network takes step forward 
Bangkok Post: 29 Jan 2011
3G network takes step forward

ANALYSIS: TOT gives telecom giants a head start in developing 3G infrastructure as state regulator takes shape

Thailand's mobile phone sector has taken a small step forward after state-owned TOT Plc awarded a group led by Samart Telecom and Loxley a 16.29 billion baht contract to build a third-generation wireless network.

High-speed telecom services are expected to be available in 13 provinces within six months, and nationwide within one year.

The move came a day after True Move, the country's third-largest mobile operator, signed contracts with CAT Telecom to extend the term of its own concession agreement as well as expand into 3G services. True Move, a unit of True Corp, expects to offer nationwide 3G services within two years.

Demand for 3G has jumped sharply in recent years thanks to the popularity of smartphones such as Apple's iPhone or Research in Motion's BlackBerry handsets. New tablet PCs such as the iPad have also raised customer expectations for high-speed networks to gain access to the internet for multimedia and data applications.

But efforts to launch 3G networks that can transmit data several times faster than today's GSM systems have been delayed for years due to political and regulatory infighting. The three major telecom providers _ Advanced Info Service, Dtac and True Move _ currently offer 3G services in limited areas under trial arrangements but cannot begin full commercial services without a licence.

But efforts to sell off 3G licences must wait until the formation of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, a body that will replace the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as the primary regulator of the telecom sector. A planned auction of 3G licences by the NTC was scrapped at the last dhmoment late last year after a court challenge over the bid's legality.

But operators may still seek the right to sell 3G services by forming partnerships with the state-owned TOT Corp and CAT Telecom as so-called mobile virtual network operators. Under an MVNO arrangement, a company can market services under its own brand while using a network owned by either state enterprise.

The TOT contract awarded yesterday aims to give the state enterprise a headstart in developing 3G infrastructure as AIS and Dtac wait for the country's new regulator to be formed.

The winning SL Consortium won with a bid of 16.29 billion baht, or 6.59% lower than the reserve price and beating out competitors such as Ericsson, China's ZTE Corporation and a group comprising Advanced dhInformation Technology and United Communications.

SL Consortium is 65% owned by Samart Communications Services, a unit of Samart Telecom, and 35% by Loxley Wireless, a unit of Loxley Plc. Shares of Samart Telecom on the Stock Exchange of Thailand rose 2.46% yesterday while Loxley gained 5.34% even as the main market closed down 0.49%.

The bid was held by the TOT yesterday morning after the Administrative Court late Thursday rejected petitions by Ericsson and ZTE Corp to halt the contract auction due to irregularities. The TOT board is due to formally approve the contract with SL Consortium on Feb 11.

The 3G contract specifications call for three elements _ 17.44 billion baht for the procurement of network equipment, 2 billion for network upgrades for TOT's existing 3G network in Bangkok and 540 million baht as a reserve.

Within 180 days of the contract, 3G services are to be available in 13 provinces: Chon Buri, Rayong, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Nong Khai. The remaining provinces in the country would be covered within 12 months.

Once TOT's 3G network is fully in place, it would give the state enterprise the ability to either roll out its own mobile service or offer bandwidth to a private operator under an MVNO arrangement.

A number of MVNO providers are already in operation, though most of them are limited in scale to providing 3G wireless internet access aimed at laptop users in urban areas. In any case, industry experts say the MVNO system also operates under a regulatory cloud because of different interpretations of the Frequency Allocation Act.

Section 46 of the act says a radio frequency licence is an exclusive right awarded to a licensee and may not be transferred or assigned to others, raising questions about whether TOT Plc can allow others to use its network under the MVNO system.

Tom Kruesophon, head of virtual network operator Tune Talk Thailand, said the government should clarify the wording, to prevent problems for TOT and MVNOs. The business model for MVNOs also was impractical, he said. The TOT charges MVNOs 70 baht for a 3G SIM card even though the card itself costs just 10 baht.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/218782/3g-network-takes-step-forward

[Admin]

Thai 3G network takes step forward 
Bangkok Post: 29 Jan 2011

ANALYSIS: TOT gives telecom giants a head start in developing 3G infrastructure as state regulator takes shape

Thailand's mobile phone sector has taken a small step forward after state-owned TOT Plc awarded a group led by Samart Telecom and Loxley a 16.29 billion baht contract to build a third-generation wireless network.

High-speed telecom services are expected to be available in 13 provinces within six months, and nationwide within one year.

The move came a day after True Move, the country's third-largest mobile operator, signed contracts with CAT Telecom to extend the term of its own concession agreement as well as expand into 3G services. True Move, a unit of True Corp, expects to offer nationwide 3G services within two years.

Demand for 3G has jumped sharply in recent years thanks to the popularity of smartphones such as Apple's iPhone or Research in Motion's BlackBerry handsets. New tablet PCs such as the iPad have also raised customer expectations for high-speed networks to gain access to the internet for multimedia and data applications.

But efforts to launch 3G networks that can transmit data several times faster than today's GSM systems have been delayed for years due to political and regulatory infighting. The three major telecom providers _ Advanced Info Service, Dtac and True Move _ currently offer 3G services in limited areas under trial arrangements but cannot begin full commercial services without a licence.

But efforts to sell off 3G licences must wait until the formation of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, a body that will replace the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) as the primary regulator of the telecom sector. A planned auction of 3G licences by the NTC was scrapped at the last dhmoment late last year after a court challenge over the bid's legality.

But operators may still seek the right to sell 3G services by forming partnerships with the state-owned TOT Corp and CAT Telecom as so-called mobile virtual network operators. Under an MVNO arrangement, a company can market services under its own brand while using a network owned by either state enterprise.

The TOT contract awarded yesterday aims to give the state enterprise a headstart in developing 3G infrastructure as AIS and Dtac wait for the country's new regulator to be formed.

The winning SL Consortium won with a bid of 16.29 billion baht, or 6.59% lower than the reserve price and beating out competitors such as Ericsson, China's ZTE Corporation and a group comprising Advanced dhInformation Technology and United Communications.

SL Consortium is 65% owned by Samart Communications Services, a unit of Samart Telecom, and 35% by Loxley Wireless, a unit of Loxley Plc. Shares of Samart Telecom on the Stock Exchange of Thailand rose 2.46% yesterday while Loxley gained 5.34% even as the main market closed down 0.49%.

The bid was held by the TOT yesterday morning after the Administrative Court late Thursday rejected petitions by Ericsson and ZTE Corp to halt the contract auction due to irregularities. The TOT board is due to formally approve the contract with SL Consortium on Feb 11.

The 3G contract specifications call for three elements _ 17.44 billion baht for the procurement of network equipment, 2 billion for network upgrades for TOT's existing 3G network in Bangkok and 540 million baht as a reserve.

Within 180 days of the contract, 3G services are to be available in 13 provinces: Chon Buri, Rayong, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Nong Khai. The remaining provinces in the country would be covered within 12 months.

Once TOT's 3G network is fully in place, it would give the state enterprise the ability to either roll out its own mobile service or offer bandwidth to a private operator under an MVNO arrangement.

A number of MVNO providers are already in operation, though most of them are limited in scale to providing 3G wireless internet access aimed at laptop users in urban areas. In any case, industry experts say the MVNO system also operates under a regulatory cloud because of different interpretations of the Frequency Allocation Act.

Section 46 of the act says a radio frequency licence is an exclusive right awarded to a licensee and may not be transferred or assigned to others, raising questions about whether TOT Plc can allow others to use its network under the MVNO system.

Tom Kruesophon, head of virtual network operator Tune Talk Thailand, said the government should clarify the wording, to prevent problems for TOT and MVNOs. The business model for MVNOs also was impractical, he said. The TOT charges MVNOs 70 baht for a 3G SIM card even though the card itself costs just 10 baht.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/218782/3g-network-takes-step-forward