Decision on Dtac 3G network

 CAT Telecom chief executive officer Jirayuth Rungsrithong said a decision is near on whether Total Access Communications (DTAC)'s concession allows it to upgrade its existing network to 3G technology.
But it remains unclear whether this is so. DTAC, which operates under a concession from CAT, has been waiting since 2008 for the agency's consent to upgrade its network to 3G-High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology to provide commercial 3G-850 MHz service. So far, CAT has granted DTAC permission to do so only on a non-commercial basis.
Jirayuth said CAT would consult again the Office of the Attorney-General on whether DTAC is allowed to upgrade its network, this time with the added request that the Office reply promptly.
CAT first consulted the Office on this matter on April 22. The Office replied on September 12 that it had declined to make a decision on the matter.
The Office reply cited a May resolution by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that DTAC is entitled under its concession, subject to the telecom law, to apply for an NTC permit to upgrade to HSPA technology. The NTC board therefore permitted DTAC to use radio communications equipment at its 1,200 base stations to facilitate the upgrade, and ruled that it was DTAC's duty to inform CAT of this. It was in accordance with this NTC resolution, the Office said in its reply, that it refrained from issuing an opinion on CAT's request on behalf of DTAC.
After receiving the Office reply last week, Jirayuth told ICT Minister Group Captain Anudith Nakornthap that while the reply "indicates" that DTAC can upgrade the network, CAT would re-submit its request to the Office of the Attorney-General. Jirayuth declined to specify when the request would be re-submitted, however.
CAT has also asked DTAC to clarify whether its current 3G-850 MHz service is offered on a commercial basis. DTAC has yet to reply.
DTAC launched the 3G-HSPA service on 850MHz in Bangkok on August 16, despite being told by CAT to wait for the Office to reply on the matter. The second-largest cellular operator said it had to press ahead with the launch or risk losing premium data customers to Advanced Info Service and Real Move.
Real Move, a subsidiary of True Corp, has launched a 3G-850 MHz service in partnership with CAT.
In January, CAT signed deals with True subsidiaries Real Move and Real Future, paving the way for collaborations to provide 3G-HSPA services. As part of these deals, Real Future will procure HSPA equipment for CAT to provide 3G capacity on a wholesale basis to interested firms. CAT will also wholesale 3G capacity to Real Move, which will provide retail services for 14.5 years.
The Office replied to the ICT Ministry in July that these CAT-True deals are not subject to the 1992 Public-Private Joint Venture Act.
The ministry consulted the Office on the matter after questions were raised about their legitimacy, including whether the deals must be in compliance with the public-private joint venture law.

TOT, AIS strike roaming deal

This deal should help AIS expand its 3G service so it can compete with True Corp, which has partnered with CAT Telecom.
A TOT source said both sides had agreed on the matter and were waiting for the deal to take effect soon. TOT apparently sent the draft contract to AIS as soon as it looked like Pheu Thai was going to take over the country's reins. Party leader Yingluck Shinawatra is the former president of AIS.
Negotiations for this deal have been going on since last year. The source said that under this deal, TOT would initially allow 60,000 AIS customers to use its 3G network in Greater Bangkok for data roaming, while AIS will allow 200,000 TOT customers voice access and 10,000 customers for data services.


Under the deal, both sides are allowed to provide roaming access to a million customers each.
AIS will pay TOT a roaming fee of 85 satang for each megabyte downloaded, while TOT will pay AIS a promotional rate of 60 satang per minute for subscribers using the AIS network for voice service, Bt1 per SMS and 85 satang per megabyte of data downloaded.
The TOT source added that AIS initially wanted to charge a roaming fee of Bt1.10 per minute, but later agreed to bring it down to the promotional rate. AIS will also give TOT 30 per cent of the revenue it earns from subscribers using the TOT network for roaming access.
The TOT source said this deal was not exclusively for AIS, but AIS had the right to ask TOT to refuse other telecom firms.
AIS wants its subscribers to use the TOT network for roaming access in order to ease the burden on its 3G-900 MHz network, which is serving voice and data services to more than 30 million customers. However, partners that provide the 3G service on TOT's existing network are against the deal because they are concerned AIS would compete with them to acquire customers.
AIS is also interested in partnering with TOT to provide 3G services on TOT's soon-to-be set up nationwide 3G network.