CAT set to give its 'My' 3G service a big push in Jan
CAT TELECOM will relaunch its high-speed 3G-850megahertz mobile-phone service under the "My" brand in January.
CAT senior executive vice president Viroj Tocharoenvanith said the firm would spend Bt300 million on the marketing campaign, which targets signing up around 720,000 users next year and to have 1 million in 2015, 1.3 million in 2016, 1.5 million in 2017 and 1.62 million users in 2018.
Since its service debut two years ago, My has only managed to sign up 170,000 subscribers.
CAT has partnered with True Corp group to launch the 3G-850MHz service. True’s subsidiary BFKT (Thailand) has leased its network to CAT to wholesale the 3G-850MHz bandwidth. CAT wholesales most of it to another True subsidiary, Real Move. CAT uses the remaining bandwidth to retail the My service.
However, CAT has slowed its My marketing activities pending Cabinet approval of a budget to further develop the service. The state agency started drafting the plan to relaunch My after Cabinet’s recent approval for CAT to spend Bt14.5 billion on further 3G-850MHz service development and network expansion.
CAT expects revenue from My this year of Bt1.05 billion, Bt2.5 billion next year, Bt3.6 billion in 2015, Bt4.3 billion in 2016, Bt4.7 billion in 2017 and Bt5 billion in 2018.
Its revenue from 3G bandwidth wholesaling is expected to hit Bt24 billion this year, Bt25 billion next year, Bt26 billion in 2015, Bt27.3 billion in 2016, Bt27.7 billion in 2017 and Bt27.9 billion in 2018.
Viroj said CAT expects to sign deals to wholesale bandwidth to additional potential partners, including 365 Communications and Loxley.
For 3G-850MHz network coverage this year, there will be a total of 13,500 sites and another 500 sites next year, which will cover 90 per cent of the population.
The current network capacity can serve 17 million users, of which the capacity for 13 million users was leased by Real Move.
Real Move currently has 7 million users.
