TOT partnership may be delayed by consultations
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TOT IS UNLIKELY to be able to wrap up a strategic partnership deal for its mobile-phone service soon, following an order by its board to consult the State Enterprise Policy Office first if the business partner models proposed by five potential partners we
TOT acting president Montchai Noosong said the state agency had to consult Sepo to make it legally clear in all aspects.
The state agency’s executive committee recently ordered its management to negotiate with Advanced Info Service first on a possible partnership deal, as it had submitted the best partnership model.
AIS made a proposal to TOT to expand the state agency’s mobile network to the wholesale spectrum bandwidth for AIS and other interested companies.
It also proposed the possible establishment of a 51:49 joint venture between TOT and AIS to manage disputed telecommunications towers under the TOT concession AIS holds.
The other four companies that submitted partnership proposals are True Corp, which the TOT committee considered the second-best pitch, Loxley (third-best), Mobile LTE and Samart Corp.
A TOT source said that some TOT board members were worried the controversy surrounding AIS’s concession-amendment case could affect TOT/AIS talks on the strategic partnership.
AIS chief executive officer Somchai Lertsutiwong does not believe the issue will affect the talks.
The Cabinet recently gave the Information and Communications Technology Ministry the green light to urge TOT to proceed with the partnership talks in accordance with a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that found fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of abuse of power.
The court cited several pieces of evidence, including some of the AIS concession amendments, in its ruling.
AIS, which holds the TOT concession, was founded by the Shinawatras. Its concession expires at the end of this month.
The Cabinet asked related state agencies to give their opinions on this matter.
The Office of the Attorney-General replied that it was too late for TOT’s planned Cabinet-approved move to make AIS resume the original concession, given the concession ended on Wednesday.
