Panel considers uniform interconnection
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The telecom committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will today consider the proposal for a network interconnection rate of 45 satang per minute to be applied uniformly to all cellular operators.
The lower rate is aimed at encouraging all second- and third-generation cellular operators to reduce their calling charges to customers. The rate is what operators charge one another when a customer phones someone who uses a different network than the caller.
Settapong Malisuwan, chairman of the committee, said yesterday that it had assigned a team to draft the regulation after some operators complained that the rate for all operators should be the same, which is not the case at present.
The NBTC has already levied the 45-satang rate on the three 2.1-gigahertz licence holders – Advanced Wireless Network of Advanced Info Service (AIS), DTAC Network of Total Access Communication (DTAC) and Real Future of True Corp.
But AIS, DTAC and TrueMove have agreed to use the interconnection rate of Bt1 per minute. The interconnection rate between them and CAT Telecom is 50 satang per minute.
The fee is paid by the caller’s network to the network of the called party. If two operators cannot reach an agreement on the rate between them, they can use the interim rate set by the NBTC of 50 satang per minute.
Settapong said the committee had intended for the new rate regulation to be ready when the three 2.1GHz licence holders debut their commercial 3G services this month but failed to complete it on time.
After committee approval, the draft measure will be put to a public hearing.
