True allowing AIS 2G-900MHz users to port
True Move H Universal Communication (TUC), the wholly owned wireless broadband subsidiary of True Corp, yesterday launched a campaign aimed essentially at luring 2G-900MHz subscribers from its rival Advanced Info Service (AIS) to its TrueMove H brand - al
Under the campaign, 900MHz users can port their phone numbers to the TrueMove H brand at True customer-service shops and 7-Eleven stores until March 31.
TUC, which won an 900MHz licence in last month’s auction by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), will start launching the 900MHz service next month, with nationwide network coverage scheduled for May.
Kittinut Tikawan, chief commercial officer of True, yesterday said the company would also provide subsidised smart phones and discounted packages to new users under the campaign.
Smart-phone models costing Bt1,390, Bt1,590 and Bt1,990 will be offered free of charge to new users, on condition that they refill their accounts to the tune of Bt300, Bt500 and Bt1,000, respectively, in advance.
Currently, AIS has around 11 million subscribers using the 900MHz spectrum.
AIS however failed to win a 900MHz licence at the NBTC auction in December and is now rushing to migrate as many as possible of the 11 million 2G customers to its subsidiary, Advanced Wireless Network (AWN), by offering them subsidised handsets.
TUC and Jasmine International’s Jas Mobile Broadband each won an 900MHz licence with hefty final bids of Bt76.298 billion and Bt75.654 billion, respectively, at the auction.
Both have yet to pay the first instalment of the licence at an initial upfront cost of Bt8.04 billion, and to place bank guarantees for the remaining upfront amount.
Meanwhile, AWN and Total Access Communication’s DTAC TriNet separately submitted letters to the NBTC yesterday opposing True’s porting service at 7-Eleven stores, claiming that this was not in compliance with NBTC rules as the porting at these outlets involved the provision of no official porting paperwork for customers to sign.
There are around 9,000 7-Eleven convenience stores around the country, and both 7-Eleven and True are part of the Chareon Phokhand (CP) group.
The NBTC asked TUC representatives to explain the 7-Eleven porting service yesterday.
TUC representatives said at the meeting that the new porting-service process was in compliance with the number-porting rules of the NBTC, and merely entailed offering a convenient option for users wishing to move to another network.
Korkij Danchaivichit, deputy secretary of the regulator, said after the meeting that the NBTC viewed the process to be in compliance with its rules as customers wishing to port could just show their ID cards at store counters.
