TOT to release terms for partnerships
STATE TELECOM agency TOT plans to release terms of reference next month for seeking business partners to help develop mobile broadband service using its 2.3-gigahertz spectrum.
A source in the TOT board said the agency’s board had approved a new business plan for the 2.3GHz service last week.
TOT will invite interested companies to make partnership proposals in January. Telecom network suppliers and telecom operators will be allowed to form consortia to submit proposals.
The state agency says it will pick the proposals with the best social, economic and financial value.
TOT will wholesale 60 per cent of 60 megahertz of bandwidth on the 2.3GHz spectrum to mobile-phone operators to offer mobile broadband service and allocate another 20 per cent to provide its own service, either on its own or via MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) partners.
The state agency expects total revenue of Bt2 billion per year from these operations. The remaining 20-per-cent capacity will be deployed to provide wireless service for the government’s upcoming broadband projects.
TOT has tested the 2.3GHz service in some areas in Thailand in cooperation with two foreign telecom network suppliers, China’s Huawei Technologies and Finland’s Nokia Networks. A telecom-industry source said Thailand’s three private telecom operators Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Commu-nication (DTAC) and True Corp were all expected to be keen on being TOT’s partners for 2.3GHz service.
The source added that DTAC was likely to be the most interested in a partnership, as unlike its two rivals, it had failed to secure additional bandwidth from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission’s spectrum auctions in 2015 and this year.
TOT has explored many ways to boost its revenue. Early this month the state agency expanded coverage of its 2.1GHz third-generation broadband service from Greater Bangkok to nationwide by roaming with the 3G-2.1GHz network of Advanced Wireless Network (AWN), a subsidiary of AIS.
This move is part of their partnership to provide 3G service for a six-month trial period, under a contract signed in September. An official permanent contract is expected to be signed after the trial period.
TOT expects that next year its mobile-phone-service unit will post revenue of Bt15 billion, of which Bt14 billion will be contributed from the wholesaling of 80 per cent of its 2.1GHz bandwidth to AWN. The rest will be from its own 3G service and those of its MVNO partners.
