True seeks fixed line numbers
TRUE Corp subsidiary, True Universal, has requested an additional 1.8 million fixed line phone numbers from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) in efforts to expand its fixed telephone subscription base.
Its move is also aimed to migrate fixed telephone subscribers from its parent under the TOT concession to True Universal’s network before True’s concession expires in October 2017.
True Universal operates the fixed line telephone service under the NBTC licence.
True needs new phone numbers to move its subscribers because the NBTC does not impose number portability in the fixed line telephone system – only in the mobile phone system.
The mobile number portability enables phone users to use their existing phone numbers with the different cellular networks they switch to. This means they do not have to ditch existing phone numbers when moving to different networks.
If True does not migrate its subscribers to True Universal they will belong to TOT automatically after the concession expires.
Saharat Kanongsilp, director of wireless voice service at True Corp, said that True’s fixed-line telephone service used by corporate customers generates average revenue per user of Bt350 a month and that home telephones generate Bt150 a month.
Meanwhile, Advanced Wireless Network (AWN), the cellular flagship of Advanced Info Service (AIS), has requested an additional 20,000 fixed line phone numbers from the NBTC to expand its existing AIS Fibre fixed broadband Internet service.
Earlier the watchdog granted 479,000 additional fixed line phone numbers to True Universal and 67,000 to AIS Fibre service.
The NBTC had allocated 19 million fixed line telephone numbers, 6 million of which are active. Of total active numbers, TOT currently utilises 3.3 million, True 1.4 million, TT&T 490,000, True Universal 479,0000, and AIS Fibre 8,900.
