3G Internet Thailand News

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TOT told to improve Bangkok 3G service 
Bangkok Post: 3 Jan 2010
ICT minister tells TOT to improve 3G service quality in Bangkok in 90 days


Information and Communications Technology Minister Ranongruk Suwanchawee said Sunday that she had instructed the TOT Plc to improve the network and quality of 3G wireless broadband service in 90 days.

Ranongruk said the TOT must ensure that the signals of its 3G 1900 MHz will work well in Bangkok in three months.

She said the TOT would also have to rush to expand its customer base to meet the target of 500,000 numbers.

She said the TOT is now drafting a business plan to launch its service in major provinces, which are tourist destinations, in the second phase expansion.

The business plan will be submitted to the National Economic and Social Development Board for approval by the middle of this year.

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Thailand among last in Asia for 3G switch 
Bangkok Post: 6 Jan 2010
Last one in, again

Never in Thai history has a story that didn't happen so dominate the news and clearly emerge as the Technology Story of the Year; just before the New Year, your TOT flipped a switch that started providing bandwidth of the third-generation kind in a couple of obscure corners of Bangkok, but in truth, 2009 was the year that Laos and Cambodia totally humiliated the telecoms state enterprises by leaving Thailand a far, distant last among Asian countries providing 3G service to yuppiephone subscribers.

In late November 2009, TOT Corporation claimed it had launched a 3G phone service, making Thailand once again as advanced as Laos and as technologically capable as Cambodia.

Okay, you should have a cellar of salt handy, but information specialists Research and Markets made this prediction: There will be 87.3 mobile phone subscribers in Thailand within four years, but the market share of Advanced Info Service will shrink to "only" 41.4 percent of them - 36.1 million users.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called up Information and Communications Technology Minister Ranongruk Suwanchwee on one of those old, yucky 2G phones and asked her to drop by for a chat about the progress she is making on installing spiffy new third generation (3G) networks; Mrs Ranongruk was thrilled to tell the PM that her husb... that she had organised TOT Corp to have some 3G connections by Dec 16, funded locally for 20 billion baht, and she was right; no one really wanted a service that worked in a few locations in Bangkok, but she was right.

For those with no contestant in the dogfight around 3G, it was marvellous entertainment watching the powers that be think up new reasons for not simply going ahead with a minor - if important - upgrade to the telecoms system; it was all in the name of trying to save the overcooked bacon of your TOT and your CAT Telecom, neither of which have a smidgin of hope of survival according to their current business plans; after the Magnificent Seven of the National Telecommunications Commission dillied and dallied over when and how to have an auction, after the best minister of information and communications technology of the entire year bent to the task, after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva promised and unpromised 3G service and bandwidth auctions within 2009, finally Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij spilt the beans: There will be no 3G service, no auction until after the private companies agree to sign new contracts allowing your TOT and your CAT Telecom to continue skimming their gross revenues in the system euphemistically known as concessions; TOT and CAT are to continue to operate a duopoly without the messy bit about actually providing any service of their own.

Your CAT Telecom claimed huge success for 2008 but the figures actually showed how weak it is, because more than half of the money in all categories now comes from concession fees.

Information and Communications Technology Minister Ranongruk Suwanchwee said TOT is expected to call for international bids for procurement of goods needed to build a nationwide 3G network in April; everyone knows the dependability and credibility that Mrs Ranongruk has established in a mere one year on the job; mean-spirited people, however, claimed that certain well-placed politicians might be planning to take a piece of the procurement bid, and they should be ashamed of themselves for having such thoughts.

Since there is no pressure on Thailand to be first or even second-last in Southeast Asia to get third-generation yuppiephone service, the head of the National Telecommunications Commission urged everyone to slow down and listen to all opinions on the subject; the important thing, said chairman Gen Choochart Promprasit, is to get it right

Your TOT and your CAT Telecom heavily criticised Mr Korn for his announcement of a 90-day 3G moratorium while negotiations on new concessions contracts take place; oh, bragged your TOT board chairman Teerawut Boonyasophon, it will take way, way longer than that, because this concessions stuff is complicated.

www.bangkokpost.com/tech/techscoop/30563/last-one-in-again

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AIS plans Bangkok 3G service for Feb 1 
Bangkok Post: 20 Jan 2010
AIS plans Bangkok 3G service for Feb 1
Advanced Info Service (AIS) plans to start providing 3G wireless broadband services in Bangkok on Feb 1 along with TOT Plc's 3G services through a data roaming agreement.

The country's largest mobile-phone operator says it is ready to work with its concession provider TOT in a joint venture or co-investment in the state enterprise's 3G project if 3G licensing remains stalled.

CEO Wichian Mektrakarn said co-operation was necessary for AIS to keep its subscribers and deal with the uncertainty over 3G licences.

It would also allow it to cash in on increasing mobile data demand as 3G will be a key strategic marketing tool for operators to attract new customers this year, he said.

Mobile internet demand soared by 400% last year with 12 million users out of 69 million mobile users. Mobile internet users are expected to reach 18 million this year.

AIS will provide trial 3G services in the first month targeting heavy data users. It plans to offer 3G commercial services for postpaid customers in the first phase. Customers are required to purchase a SIM card for a new phone number allowing use of three network services: TOT 3G in Bangkok, AIS 3G in Chiang Mai, Chon Buri and Hua Hin, and AIS's Edge services outside of TOT 3G service areas.

It is discussing tariff rates with TOT, he said.

"We expect to have at least 20,000 subscribers in the first month of our services," said Mr Wichian.

He said AIS planned to spend 11 billion baht in 2010, with an additional planned budget of 45 to 50 billion for 3G under a three-year plan.

It plans to expand its 3G services on 900 MHz into another 15 provinces this year and wants to invest in fixed-line broadband service in underserved residential areas and with new businesses.

AIS projects revenue to grow by 3-5% this year, exceeding 100 billion baht after contracting in the first nine months of last year. It expects its data and non-voice revenue to grow by 20%.

AIS expects to add 1.5 million new subscribers this year out of an industry total of 3 million, bringing its total to 30 million by year-end.

The mobile industry is expected to grow 3-5% with a market value of 205 billion baht in 2010.

AIS shares (ADVANC) closed down 50 satang yesterday on the SET at 83.25 baht, in trade worth 516 million baht.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/31314/ais-plans-bangkok-3g-service-for-feb-1
 

[Admin]

AIS 'loses face' over TOT 3G debacle 
Bangkok Post: 3 Feb 2010
AIS 'loses face' over TOT debacle

Advanced Info Service has lost face because TOT failed to provide the country's largest mobile operator with data roaming services on its 3G network as agreed, says its chief executive.

Wichian Mektrakarn made the comments yesterday after he and vice-chairman Somprasong Boonyachai met with TOT executives to discuss their roaming agreements.

AIS had told its subscribers that they could use data roaming on TOT's 3G network from Monday, but the state enterprise did not provide the service.

Mr Wichian said AIS agreed to wait for direction on the matter from the National Telecommunications Commission's board, which will meet today.

AIS also said it would delay cutting voice roaming services with the TOT subsidiary Thai Mobile from Feb 8.

AIS had earlier said it would submit the notification on Monday. Mr Wichian said the threat would still be carried out if no progress was made on data roaming within the next seven days.

The company was still unable to assess the financial cost of data roaming not being launched. But Mr Wichian said AIS's image and credibility had been damaged by the lack of service.

AIS did not agree with TOT's decision to seek advice from the NTC as roaming agreements were standard services. The first international roaming agreement was signed in Europe in 1992, he said.

''Roaming is a normal agreement signed among local and international operators,'' he said. ''In practice, after a roaming agreement was signed, the operators just notified the NTC later.''

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/32208/ais-loses-face-over-tot-debacle

[Admin]

Thai govt minister pushes 3G auction 
Bangkok Post: 5 Feb 2010
Sathit pushes 3G auction


A senior government minister is calling on the telecoms regulator to press ahead with an auction of third-generation mobile phone licences without waiting for the setting up of a new supervisory body.

PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey yesterday said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should move forward with the 3G licence auction without having to wait for the establishment of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

Speaking at a seminar on the future of radio, television and telecommunications, Mr Sathit stressed the need to hold the 3G auction as soon as possible to allow the public greater access to telecommunications services.

The drawn-out 3G auction process was costing the country opportunities for national and economic development, he said.

Mr Sathit said the government believed the NTC should have the authority to auction 3G licences. He said efforts should be made to see if it has the legal authority to issue the licences.

The process of awarding the licences has been stalled over legal questions on whether the NTC has the legal authority to issue them.

Attorney-General Julasing Wasansing has warned that an NTC auction of the 3G mobile broadband licences would violate the constitution.

The charter states a new frequency allocation law must be in place and a new regulator - the NBTC - must be formed before frequencies can be allocated.

The constitution requires the setting up of the NBTC but the issue is still with parliament. The absence of the NBTC has led to the debate over the authority of the NTC, formed under the earlier 1997 constitution.

Mr Sathit said the government would make sure a bill on broadcast frequency allocations passed the lower house this month and he hoped it could be endorsed by the Senate by April.

The bill would set up the NBTC and its 11 board members. The NBTC will have sole authority in deciding who will be given radio, television and other frequencies now controlled mainly by the armed forces, MCOT and state agencies.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/32307/sathit-pushes-3g-auction

[Admin]

Free Thai 3G SIM cards up for grabs 
Bangkok Post: 12 Feb 2010
Free 3G SIM cards up for grabs

365 Communication, one of the five companies providing 3G services in Bangkok for TOT Plc, will offer free 3G SIM cards to its first 200,000 customers to stimulate converged networking messaging demand.

The young company admits the strategy will cause a significant loss in the first one to two years, but Surin Ritteephamorn, the CEO and founder of 365 Communication, said TOT 3G has huge room to grow.

The churn rate of the local mobile phone market is as high as 30% per year, translating into 15 million mobile users changing their numbers per year, he said. "If we get only 1% of the churn users, we can simply survive."

TOT has 548 3G base stations in Bangkok, which were upgraded from 2G technology, with a capacity to serve 500,000 numbers.

The state telecom enterprise assigned five companies to operate its 3G service under a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business model. They are Samart I-Mobile, Loxley, IEC International, M Consultant Corporation and 365 Communication.

365 is offering free 3G SIM cards plus free data usage of 1.5 gigabyte per month for 200,000 customers under a "Freemium" (free-premium) marketing campaign.

"We expect to have 20,000 customers within this month and 200,000 [Freemium] customers by the end of this year," Mr Surin said, adding that target customers are senior year students, first jobbers, young executives and social networking communities.

Mr Surin said his company must shoulder all costs in the first two years to attract consumers, then can realise revenue after that.

To contain its loss, 365 is seeking partners in the industrial and financial sectors to co-market its 3G mobile broadband for mutual benefits, he said.

The company is now in talks with KTC and other Visa card issuers for possible interactive partnership deals.

Mr Surin said 365 had adapted its strategy from a one-way to a two-way marketing approach now that TOT's 3G nationwide expansion is being further delayed. For instance, the company will use the benefits and profits from partners to subsidise its service.

The planned co-operation between TOT and AIS, if it materialises, would have little impact on MVNO operators as the local industry is open, with a high churn rate, he added.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/32766/free-3g-sim-cards-up-for-grabs

[Admin]

3G locations, prices, plans in Thailand 
Bangkok Post: 31 Mar 2010
What to expect as 3G gains momentum across Thailand

Don Sambandaraksa looks into how the Kingdom will benefit, and which service providers will offer what

It has been four months now and most of the ToT's five partners have gone ahead and launched their 3G offerings commercially. Coverage is still patchy but a major network upgrade is due next month. So what can users expect, and which is the best 3G MVNO to go for right now?

A model promotes the 3G Sim card at last week’s Thailand Mobile Expo 2010 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center.

ToT launched its 3G network commercially on Dec 3 with 548 or 551 base stations around greater Bangkok, depending on which press release one reads. The network is capable of 7.2MBPS downstream and 2MBPS upstream, which will make sure every major shopping centre and office building in Bangkok gets coverage and ToT's 3G network in Chiang Mai and Pattaya will go online in April. Khon Kaen, Hua Hin and Phuket are scheduled to go live in May. Upcountry equipment will feature a maximum download speed of 14.4MBPS, double the speed in Bangkok with a compatible device.

All modern high-end phones from the past couple of years are 3G-compatible. With the proper software, they can be tethered to laptops and netbooks to get online. For instance, Nokia OVI Suite has (almost) one-touch access to use the phone to get the PC online. "Almost", as none of the phones and suites know of ToT 3G yet and configuration for the access point name (APN) has to be manual. ToT 3G needs the APN to be set as "internet".

ToT has launched on the standard 2100 frequency, not the oddball 1900 (North American) frequency it was using for GSM.

The problem with coverage is compounded by the high 2100 MHz frequency that does not penetrate buildings or mosquito meshes. Practical use is further exacerbated by the roaming arrangement with AIS. It is possible to roam on to AIS for most of the MVNOs (not 365 or i-Kool) to provide (expensive) voice and SMS coverage when out of range of 3G. However, there is no data roaming on AIS Edge/GPRS. This means that if allowed to roam, push mail - one of the most sought after features of today's smart phones - will not work and often spew out errors and warnings.

In practice, most phones will select a good AIS signal over an acceptable but low ToT 3G signal. Locking the phone to ToT Mobile or to UMTS 3G-only mode helps in that sense, but that means that the phone will be not be able to receive a call when out of 3G range. All in all, that means users still have to keep hold of their GSM Sims and phones for a while yet.

Some places in Bangkok have very good coverage and some parts have no signal at all. A second Sim card therefore makes a lot of sense, with coverage available in most business areas if you are willing to walk around and hunt for a good signal. Indoor coverage is very much hit and miss depending on your proximity to a base station and the buildings in the area.

ToT is marketing 3G and selling Sims both itself, at any ToT office, and through five Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) - 365, i-Kool (Loxley), i-Mobile 3GX (Samart), IEC and M-Conzult. Most offer both prepaid and post-paid plans. Most post-paid plans are similar to ToT's offering but there is quite a bit of variation on pre-paid plans.

ToT offers S, M, L and XL packages on post-paid contracts starting with 1GB for 199 baht, 2.5GB for 399; 4GB for 599 and 6GB for 799 baht, respectively. Usage in excess of the bundled packages is 0.20 baht per MB or 200 baht a GB. Worryingly, though, the fine print in the paperwork that comes with the Sim says that excess usage outside of the bundle is charged at a staggering 3 baht per MB or 3,072 baht a GB, but the call centre assures users they can ignore it as it is just the maximum price they can charge in ToT's agreement with the NTC. Still, given the fact that i-Kool offers cheaper pre-paid data negates the point of having a post-paid contract in the first place.

Most operators have divided the market into two - a bundle with voice, video calls, SMS and MMS, and a data-only plan. The price per MB of these bundles are higher than the best data-only plans. For instance, 3GX offers calls at 1 baht a minute, video-calls at 1.50 baht a minute, SMSes at 2 baht each. As for data, a 500-baht 3GX top-up will give you 1GB of data in addition to the 500 baht balance for calls and SMSes (equivalent to 200 baht a GB), but any excess over the 1GB is charged at 0.50 baht per megabyte (equivalent to 500 baht a GB).

For large data users, 365 offers 1GB (or 30 days) for 200 baht, 3GX 2,000MB or 60 days for 500 baht, and i-Kool offer the best value of all the 3G operators (for now) at 5GB (5,120MB) for 500 baht (or 30 days, whichever comes first). 365 has promised an unmetered data plan, but that has not materialised yet.

It is interesting to see how some define a gigabyte as 1,000MB, while i-Kool seems to have a serious case of indecision and defines it as 1,024MB, even though they define a megabyte as 1,000KB rather than 1,024KB. It is generally accepted that 1GB should be 1,048,576KB and not 1,000,000, and never the hybrid 1,024,000.

Topping up is different depending on the MVNO. i-Kool top up cards are quite hard to come by as Loxley has only a limited dealer network through its Sony-Ericsson brand shops, but they take credit cards and PaySbuy e-Money online with no charge. After payment, an SMS is sent to any phone (not necessarily an i-Kool phone) and via email. Then that code has to be entered on the 3G phone for the top-up to be activated. This means that if it is in a dongle with no voice call function, the Sim has to be removed and put into a phone for it to be topped up. The same is true for checking usage balance. It is only possible by dialling a code from the phone itself - again requiring it to be removed from a dongle to check the balance. It is also confusing, as i-Kool has different balance accounts for data that came with the Sim and for data that has been topped up after purchase.

365 is a bit better in the respect that it allows top-up directly to the Sim from its online portal, but it's also a bit more clumsy in that payment is only accepted in the form of a bank transfer to its Kasikorn Bank or Bank of Ayuthaya account. After making the transfer, the user has to log in to the portal again, tell 365 of the exact time of the transfer and then wait for someone to manually verify the payment and top up your account for you. This manual time-based matching approach probably works for now but when eventually thousands of people are trying to top up each day looks a recipe for chaos.

Other MVNOs vary and one should check carefully before committing to a purchase. Suffice to say that none offer the ease and simplicity of mainstream GSM operators when it comes to topping up.

5GB is more than enough for phone use and, to all intents and purposes, it is as good as unlimited. However, connect it to a bandwidth-hungry PC and 5GB suddenly seems very little. 365 says most men use 25GB of data a month and women 35GB if put on unmetered plans on a PC or notebook.

As a replacement for home broadband, 3G has great potential. It is possible to buy a special router that accepts a USB dongle for around 3,000 baht that can share the 3G connection via a wireless LAN. ToT has obviously made sure that the gateway is not a major bottleneck with speeds of up to 6MBPS down not unheard of with a good, steady signal on a 7.2MBPS device. For places without ADSL on the outskirts of Bangkok, it is perhaps the only channel for true Broadband Internet access. Many users in Bangkok are now beginning to use 3G as their "premium" connection when speed is needed or their copper connection has a problem.

This is probably the reverse use case that most countries have found themselves in, with copper being slow and used for downloading large files and 3G being used for premium connections. Obviously this will have major implications as to how the market develops.

The possibility of paying 1,000 to 1,500 baht a month for 10 to 15GB a month of fast, but not unmetered, broadband will appeal to many. But that same connection can be taken anywhere in Bangkok too and soon other major cities in the country. No more searching for True Wi-Fi or Starbucks; a 3G user can sit down anywhere (with a signal), plug in and go online with all the speed they are used to at home, and more. With more and more thin and light notebooks and netbooks coming with built-in 3G, this market is probably set to be the biggest in terms of bandwidth usage. After all, who wants to use m.facebook. com on a phone when they can have the full Facebook experience on the large screen? A busy user who does not spend too much time at home downloading movie files now has the choice of using 3G instead of home ADSL.

For mobile broadband on the phone, the experience is marred by (admittedly improving) coverage issues. TV channels on Windows Mobile are smooth and responsive, better than many home Wi-Fi ADSL connections, even. It also opens up the possibility of uploading pictures and videos almost instantly to social networking sites and even for broadcasting video over sites such as QIK or Bambuser. Unless the signal is very strong, streaming video quality is still limited in practice though to QVGA, but at the right place with a good signal, a clear VGA picture with a rich sound-track can be broadcast. Only the most recent 3G phones have 2MBPS HSUPA (high speed uplink) and most phones from a few years ago are limited to 3.6MBPS down and 384KBPS up.

Ironically, using a high-bandwidth signal might make video very clear on a tiny screen, but more data means more to process and tax the phone's CPU and thus greatly reduces battery life. Manually limiting the bandwidth in Windows Media Player, for instance, to 100KBPS is hardly noticeable on the small screen but helps extend battery life greatly.

Using low-bandwidth mobile versions of sites such as Twitter or Facebook is much more fluid over 3G, not so much because of the bandwidth but the reduced latency and general snappiness of the network.

3G also makes practical the use of the Skyfire browser that allows full Flash video to be transcoded and shown on most modern smart phones. Without 3G, sites can be transcoded and sent to the phone, but not video, at least not smoothly enough to be of any real-world use.

On high resolution Android phones such as the Nexus One, 3G means seamless access to Picasa web albums to show of photos as if they were stored locally on the phone, complete with the 3D "floating in the air" feature of Android 2.1.

Skype video calls from a compatible smart phone via Fring is a possibility, as is using Skype for free calls to other Skype users. Skype now has an official client for Nokia S60 3rd Edition (non-touchscreen), iPhone (needs a jailbreak to allow VOIP calls over 3G), Maemo (Nokia N900) and Windows Mobile. None of the tested ToT MVNOs block Skype. Ironically, with a Skypeout subscription and a suitable phone, it is now possible to make unlimited calls to Thailand for US$5.95 (195 baht) a month, including calls to mobiles.

How long this will continue before someone at ToT decides to block it will be interesting.

In the UK, none of the major networks allow VoIP in their contract but most seem to turn a blind eye to it, except for excessive use. The smallest operator, Hutchinson 3, however, encourages Skype, leveraging it as a disruptive force to gain market share from the big players.

That said, most of the latest 3G phones now do away with the front-facing video-call camera. None of the recent smart phones from HTC have one, for instance. In the west, video-calling has failed as it is too personally intrusive unless it is for family or for executive meetings. For many, once they have made one call, that is enough and it is then time to move on to the greater Internet. How it will fare in Thailand is still too early to say.

Bangkok has 3G now. It is far from perfect and coverage is patchy, but finally the smart phones can be let loose and enjoy their birthright. Until coverage improves, it will be the nomadic user on a big screen laptop or netbook that has the most to gain from 3G, but at the very reasonable prices for prepaid Sim cards, there is no reason not to go out and try one out. 3G has been a long time coming and now the time has arrived to see what all the fuss is about first-hand.

Can business depend on 3G? Not yet, but they can try. Can social media users take advantage of 3G to share pictures and videos with the world? Most definitely.

The next stage of Thailand's 3G evolution will not happen until the NTC finally gets around to issuing 3G licenses and the major players get into the game. Most analysts say that ToT will never be able to fund a comprehensive nationwide network the way AIS or Dtac can. In the meantime, we may get a sideshow when the oddball frequency 3G networks get launched. Dtac is waiting for approval from its concession holder, CAT Telecom, to roll out 1,000 base stations on 850MHz 3G around Bangkok. 850MHz 3G phones are few and far between (apart from the iPhone). AIS, if it can sort out its legacy network and spectrum spaghetti, is in a much better position from a device point of view to roll out 900MHz 3G as all new phones on the Thai market support 900 and 2100.

The real impact of 3G will not be felt until coverage is extended upcountry. There, 3G will be the only way for many to access broadband and will bring the Internet to millions of users - not so much on their smart phone, but on their home PC.

The macroeconomic benefits of affordable, broadband access will be great for the Thai economy, as will the social changes from being able to access information and work remotely from remote villages in the middle of nowhere.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/tech/technews/35342/what-to-expect-as-3g-gains-momentum-across-thailand

[Admin]

Thai tourist areas targeted for 3G 
Bangkok Post: 13 Apr 2010
Tourist destinations on TOT's 3G map

TOT Plc is seeking approval for a 3G network in tourist destination provinces to expand its mobile broadband service while it awaits cabinet approval of a more ambitious 20-billion-baht 3G venture.

The state telecom enterprise is proposing to have a consortium of Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens build the network, which TOT would then rent. The plan would need approval from the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry.

A source familiar with the proposal said TOT wanted to increase its capacity to meet increasing demand for 3G in Chiang Mai and Phuket as well as Bangkok.

He said the three-company consortium was the original contracted party of Thai Mobile in the construction of its network.

Thai Mobile was a joint venture of TOT and CAT to provide mobile phone services on the 1900 MHz band but it is now owned outright by TOT.

It has only about 50,000 customers in a market of 64 million but its bandwidth is extremely valuable.

The source said TOT would also ask the consortium to upgrade the existing 1900 MHz network comprising 548 base stations to 3G, which would allow it to expand 3G services immediately without having to await cabinet approval of the nationwide network.

The source added that if the plan went ahead, TOT could consider leasing the consortium's 3G network later or buying it out.

TOT launched 3G service in early December in Bangkok but both the service and the customer base have been limited so far.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/35999/tourist-destinations-on-tot-3g-map

[Admin]

Thai govt looks to bypass 3G for LTE 
Bangkok Post: 7 Jun 2010
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Mixed response to 3.9G among operators

The country's largest mobile operator has given a mixed response to the government's proposal for Thailand to adopt 3.9G wireless broadband technology, after five years of failure to start third-generation (3G) services.

Advanced Info Service said 3.9G was a good idea but reallocation of spectrum, as well as the readiness of equipment and handset makers, must be taken into account.

AIS chief executive Wichian Mektrakarn said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) had shown a progressive vision by proposing to move straight to 3.9G and bypass the stillborn 3G. However, he said limited bandwidth resources may make it difficult to adopt the new technology, which offers speeds 20 times faster than 3G.

The NTC last month announced a plan to skip issuing 3G licences and instead auction three 3.9G licences by September. Commercial services could begin by the end of this year in the best case.

While 3G services are available in Laos and Cambodia, only limited trial services are available in Thailand to this day. Past attempts by the NTC to auction 3G licences have failed because of frequent changes in government and disagreements over the regulator's legal authority.

The new 3.9G licences would be for 15 Megahertz of bandwidth and would be valid for 15 years. The NTC previously planned to auction four 3G licences: three for 10MHz and one for 15MHz.

Bid prices are expected to start at 10 billion baht per licence and could reach 12.5 billion.

An NTC board member said that the auction would use an SMR (simultaneous multiple-round) method meaning that all licences would be open for bids simultaneously but the number awarded would be based on the number of bidders passing pre-qualification tests.

For example, if three bidders passed the pre-qualification stage, only two licences would be open for auction, and if two bidders passed the test, only one licence would be available. As long as there were more bidders than licences, there would be price competition, he said.

3.9G technology is more advanced than 3G but based on the same 2.1 GHz frequencies. It allows 20 times faster data transmission, 100 Mbps for downlink peak rates and 50 Mbps for uplink, using the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard.

Operators can upgrade their existing 3G on GSM or high-speed downlink packet access networks to 3.9G LTE, without having to build new base stations.

But Mr Wichian said 15 MHz would be insufficient for 3.9G services. "At least 20 MHz of carrier bandwidths are needed for each operator to support commercial data-focused traffic in reality."

AIS was ready financially to move to 3.9G, he said, but a lack of compatible equipment and handsets would be a barrier.

Nattawat Woranopakul, country manager of HTC Thailand, said that only smartphones, accounting for just 10% of the mobile market currently, could be used for 3.9G.

Data transmission speeds of current smartphone models in Thailand are mainly in the range of 3.6 to 7.2 Mbps, the minimum for 3.9G. Some HTC models offer speeds up to 14.4 Mbps.

He said new chipsets might have to be made for 3.9G handsets, which could be quite expensive initially.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/38325/mixed-response-to-3-9g-among-operators
 

[burirambangkok]

step by step.
first get to the point you can provide stable high speed internet. in my village seems like it all depand on the wind. 

[Admin]

Thai 3G auction set for late September 
The Nation: 29 Jul 2010
3G license auction set for late September
By USANEE MONGKOLPORN
THE NATION
Published on July 29, 2010

The National Telecommunications Commission will call the auction of licences for the 3G-2.1-gigahertz spectrum in the last week of September, according to the time frame approved yesterday by the NTC board.

NTC chairman Prasit Prapinmongkolkarn confirmed the time frame.

The NTC will auction three 15-year licences for third-generation (3G) mobile telecommunication service at the starting bid price of Bt12.8 billion each. Some NTC members are on an overseas roadshow to woo foreign telecom operators to join the bidding. They have already met with China Mobile, China Unicom, and SK Telecom.

The NTC has moved ahead with the licensing plan despite opposition to of some aspects of it.

Some private telecom operators have opposed the auction method, while others want the NTC to remove Clause 9.4 of the plan, regarding the return of 2G (second-generation) spectra by licence winners.

The clause requires incumbent telecom operators who acquire one of the new licences to return existing spectra to the concession owners TOT or CAT Telecom for reallocation. The reasoning behind the clause is that operators should not own too many spectra.

Some telecom operators, however, have expressed uncertainty that the two state enterprises will reassign spectra to them so they can continue providing 2G service.

The NTC has affirmed that TOT and CAT are obligated to provide current concession holders spectra to continue 2G service.

Meanwhile, the state joint committee developing the concession termination plan will meet with the NTC tomorrow to discuss the scheme. It will also meet with all private concession holders next week on the same matter.

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry and the Finance Ministry set up the joint committee to study three main aspects surrounding the termination plan, namely legal, technical, and financial.

A source close to the committee said the plan is legally feasible but declined to elaborate.

The concession-termination plan is part an effort by the Finance Ministry to put all mobile-phone operators under a single set of NTC regulations. Currently they operate under overlapping state concession and NTC regulations.

[Admin]

September 3G auction confirmed
Published: 31/07/2010 at 12:34 AM
Online news: Telecommunications

The long-delayed auction for 3G mobile broadband licences is scheduled for Sept 22-28, according to an official announcement published late Thursday in the Royal Gazette.

Bidders must submit proposals to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) by Aug 30 for screening. Those that pass will be invited to take part in the auctions.

Col Natee Sukonrat, an NTC member, acknowledged that the process could be disrupted if opponents seek a court order to put it on hold.

Attempts to bring 3G services to Thailand have been held up for nearly five years because of frequent changes in government and also because of questions about the NTC's legal authority to award licences.

The NTC aims to award three licences with a starting bid price of 12.8 billion baht each.

The regulator will use a so-called N-1 approach, meaning that if there are no more than three bidders, the number of licences would be equal to the number of bidders minus one. It says this approach will ensure higher competition and potentially raise prices.

Questions remain, however, about the NTC's legal authority, since the law to create a new super-regulator, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), has not received final approval.

As a result, a director of TOT Plc warned earlier, the Radio Frequency Allocation Act 2000 and the Telecom Business Law remain in force and limit what the NTC can do.

The first act separates telecoms under the NTC and broadcasting under the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). However, years of repeated attempts to create the NBC collapsed amid political wrangling.

The Telecom Business Law was an organic law under the 1997 Constitution but it was later rescinded under the 2007 Constitution, which calls for the formation of the NBTC.

Consequently, the TOT executive said, any activity that the Frequency Allocation Act defines as the joint responsibility of the NTC and the non-existent NBC cannot be undertaken by the NTC alone.

He warned that if the NTC awarded 3G licences under existing rules, private mobile operators such as AIS, DTAC and True Move could establish new companies to bid for licences. They would then migrate their customers to new 3G networks so that they would no longer have to pay concession fees, which would severely hurt TOT and its state sibling, CAT Telecom.

Advanced Info Service, the country's largest operator, is already preparing to jump onto the 3G mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) bandwagon in partnership with TOT, with a planned commercial launch by September.

The strategic move is intended to reduce the risk of further delays in 3G services due to existing legal wrangles, said CEO Wichian Mektrakarn.

Currently, five MVNO companies provide 3G services under contracts with TOT. The state enterprise has only 548 3G base stations in Bangkok, with a capacity to serve 500,000 numbers.

Mr Wichian said AIS, through a new wholly owned subsidiary Advanced Mobile Broadband, plans to initially spend 5 million baht on setting up its MVNO service within 60 days.

The company has also set up a wholly owned subsidiary, Mimo Technology Co, to handle the 3G content business and mobile software platforms. Another new subsidiary, Advanced Wireless Network, will bid for a 3G licence and operate the service.

Mr Wichian said AIS was in talks with TOT on a quota of MVNO numbers and tariff costs. Details including co-marketing plans, the number of customers and amount of data roaming, and service conditions would be settled next month.

"Given our nationwide distribution networks and after-sales service outlets, backup systems and possible roaming network agreement with TOT in the future, we have several advantages over the other MVNO companies," he said.

[Admin]

NTC stands by foreign curb effort
AIS, DTAC worry about 3G bids
Published: 19/08/2010 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: Business

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) yesterday defended its efforts to limit foreign participation in the country's telecommunications sector, arguing that the rules do not violate global trade commitments.

An NTC draft regulation aimed at preventing "foreign dominance" in the telecom sector would place curbs on shareholdings and management positions held by foreign nationals, and would apply to existing operators as well as operators of new third-generation mobile licences scheduled to be auctioned late next month.

NTC commissioner Sudharm Yoonaidharm dismissed complaints filed by the European Union suggesting that the draft violated Thailand's commitments to the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) under the World Trade Organisation.

Mr Sudharm said Thailand was not bound to the Government Procurement Agreement under the WTO, where signatories commit to fairness, non-discrimination and transparency in government procurement.

The rules do not concern public procurement, he said, but instead involved private competition for 3G spectrum for commercial services, he said.

The EU recently submitted a letter to the NTC and the Commerce, Finance and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ministries expressing concern about the rule. The EU said the rule could restrict rights of foreign investors in setting policy, engaging in management and operations, and possibly represent a violation of GATS.

Anuparb Thiralarp, a telecommunications expert, said companies could seek legal action in the Administrative Court or the WTO itself, arguing that the rule violated the principles of most-favoured nation status and national treatment under GATS.

Most-favoured nation status is a key concept in global trade, where countries offer equal trade advantages to all countries offered the same status. National treatment binds countries to offering similar treatment to local and foreign nationals, or between locally produced and foreign goods.

One telecom executive said that both Advanced Info Service and DTAC, the country's two largest mobile operators, may file a court injunction against the NTC prior to submitting their 3G bids. AIS's major shareholders include Singapore's Temasek Holdings and Singapore Telecom, while DTAC is controlled by Norway's Telenor.

Eight companies, including AIS and DTAC, have purchased bid documents for the 3G licence auction scheduled to be held from Sept 28-29. Other potential bidders include True Corp, Samart and Loxley.

Particularly contentious is a suggestion that the nationality of a company's senior management should be considered in the 3G auction, an issue that could affect a number of bidders, including AIS and DTAC.

Mr Sudharm explained that the rule did not explicitly prohibit foreigners from serving as management executives. The NTC will allow foreign nationals to serve in management positions if justified by the companies.

"The EU misunderstood the details of the rule," he said. "The rule does not violate GATS and Thailand is not a member of the Government Procurement Agreement."

The NTC plans a public hearing on the foreign dominance draft tomorrow.

[Admin]

Telecom trade watched
Focus on firms not entering 3G bids
Published: 31/08/2010 at 09:14 PM
Bangkok Post: Online news: Telecommunications

The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into the share price movements of some listed telecom companies for evidence of speculation ahead of this month's 3G wireless broadband licence auction.

The prices of the companies in question rose in a range of 17% to 60% in August but fell sharply yesterday after some of them failed to submit bid documents by Monday's deadline, said an SEC official who declined to be named.

Eighteen companies picked up bidding documents from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) from Aug 1-29 but only three submitted formal bids on Monday.

As expected, they were the three mobile market leaders: Advanced Info Service, DTAC and True Move. Each submitted bid documents, a letter of intent, a 500,000-baht processing fee, and a deposit of 1.28 billion baht.

Also submitting bid documents was an NGV equipment importer and assembler, Win Win NGV, owned by the children of a senator who strongly opposed the 3G auction, claiming the starting price was too low. However, it failed to produced the fee, letter of intent and cheque deposit and was disqualified.

Other listed telecom businesses including Samart I Mobile, Loxley and Jasmine International did not submit bid documents. Some notified the SET that they saw the 3G business as high-risk.

The SEC executive said Loxley was summoned to clarify its participation in the bid.

Industry and market executives conceded that investor speculation about which telecom companies might bid was probably inevitable ahead of Monday's deadline.

Suranand Wongwittayakamjorn, an NTC commissioner, admitted it would be very difficult to prevent share speculation as the 3G auction was an open-bid platform.

Over the past month, the share price of Jasmine International surged by 64%, Loxley shares rose 40% and Samart I-Mobile increased by 17%.

Loxley shares fell 11% yesterday at the end of a volatile month, during which their price ranged from 2.08 to 3.04 baht, the peak reached on Monday.

Jasmine shares (JAS) lost 7% to 1.33 baht, also in heavy trade worth 558.1 million baht.

Shares of the three mobile leaders all fell yesterday as investors weighed the chances of each one in the Sept 20 auction, when only two licences will be available. A third licence would be auctioned later.

True Corp shares fell 9.6% to 6.60 baht in heavy trade worth 981 million, AIS shares (ADVANC) fell 0.75 baht to 92.25, while DTAC was off 2.25 baht to 46.50 in heavy trade worth 1.24 billion baht.

Suroj Lamsam, executive vice-president of Loxley, said his company had been genuinely interested in seeking a 3G licence, and there had been no intention of share speculation.

He said Loxley had been unable to conclude talks with a prospective partner, an Asian-based telecom firm, because of concern about an NTC rule that would curb "foreign dominance" in the business.

As well, he said, the company considered the deposit of 1.28 billion baht - 10% of the starting bid price - too high because the NTC could not guarantee that it would return the money if the 3G auction drags on.

The timeframe for submitting bid applications was also very short given the project value. "All these factors made Loxley fail to meet the NTC deadline," he said.

However, Mr Suroj said Loxley was still in talks with prospective partners for a joint venture to bid for a 3G licence in the second round if the outlook was good.

Samart I-Mobile, meanwhile, said it decided not to bid and to focus instead on strengthening its existing 3G mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service for TOT Plc.

Jasmine International and its subsidiary Acumen declined to elaborate on why they did not bid.

http://bangkokpost.com/business/telecom/193935/telecom-trade-watched

[Admin]

ICT Minister seeks foreign 3G investors 
Bangkok Post: 5 Sep 2010
ICT to seek cabinet approval for foreign firms to co-invest with Thais on 3G network system in Thailand
วันอาทิตย์ ที่ 05 ก.ย. 2553

BANGKOK, Sept 5 - Minister of Information and Communication Technology Chuti Krairiksh said he had ordered a revision on the planned bidding to launch the innovative 3G network services to allow Thai investors to co-invest with foreign firms.

Mr Chuti said he had ordered TOT Public Co., Ltd. to review the planned bidding for 3G network services in the country valued at Bt19 billion to allow local investors to co-invest with foreign firms in an attempt to encourage Thais to gain wider knowledge and grow in building telecommunication network systems.

Previously, only foreign firms in Thailand including two from China and another three from Europe, including Ericson, were allowed to enter the bidding for the scheme.

The planned revision for bidding will be presented for Cabinet consideration, probably on Tuesday, Mr Chuti said. TOT plans to build about 5,500 base stations for 3G network services so that services could be offered nationwide.

Also, it plans to discuss with Advanced Info Service (AIS) about using its already existing stations throughout Thailand.

A government concession given to AIS will expire in five years and it must transfer its assets to TOT.

Realising that it is unnecessary to invest heavily on constructing the stations, the TOT board feels that the company could save money if stations could be used jointly with the AIS system. (MCOT online news)