AWN, Real Future see 4.3m 3G subscribers
Subscribers to the two new 3G-2.1GHz wireless broadband services have reached 4.3 million since their launch two months ago.
Almost all of the users are with Advanced Wireless Network (AWN) of Advanced Info Service, while 1,000 are with Real Future of True Corp, according to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
DTAC TriNet of Total Access Communication is expected to roll out its third-generation cellular service on 2.1 gigahertz on July 23.
Of AWN’s subscribers, 1.3 million are new and 3 million were migrated from AIS to AWN. Of these 3 million, only 500,000 came to AWN via the mobile-number-portability system, while 2.5 million were transferred via the call-transit system.
The portability system allows users to keep their old mobile-phone numbers when switching to another network.
Takorn Tantasit, secretary-general of the NBTC, said some AWN users, who were migrated by the call-transit system, had complained that they could not access full 3G services.
“We will pass their grievances to the NBTC’s telecom committee to seek a way out as soon as possible,” he said.
Five telecom operators including TOT and CAT Telecom have agreed to expand portability capacity from 40,000 per day to 300,000. Each operator will have a quota of only 60,000 per day.
The NBTC also said that as of June 30, AWN had installed 5,709 3G-2.1GHz base station sites. DTAC Trinet had installed 881 3G-2.1GHz sites and Real Future had 92 4G-2.1GHz sites.
All three providers are shooting for 10 million users each by year-end. DTAC claims it has 3.1 million users waiting to move to DTAC TriNet.
