NBTC TO REGISTER LAO MOBILE PHONE USERS
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will develop a system for registering mobile phone subscribers in Laos as part of a plan to promote national security cooperation between the two countries.
The NBTC and Laos’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPT) signed an agreement in February to cooperate on telecoms cooperation issues.
The NBTC will invest Bt7 million for the system, which will allow mobile phone users to use their fingerprint and ID to register via applications for mobile phones, tablets and computers.
Takorn Tantalite, secretary-general of the NBTC, said last week that the system is expected to be completed this year.
Bounsaleumsay Khennavong, permanent secretary of the MPT, said MPT hopes that the new system would help it speed up registration of mobile phone subscribers with complete information.
Laos has 5 million mobile phone users out of its 6.5 million population.
About 60 per cent have already registered their phone numbers but the registered information is still not complete.
The new system will help MPT register mobile phone users again with complete data.
DTAC RATINGS STRONG
Tris Rating has affirmed the company rating and senior unsecured debenture ratings of DTAC TriNet Co at “AA+” with a “stable” outlook, reflecting DTN’s strategic importance as a core subsidiary of Total Access Communication (DTAC; “AA+/Stable”). The stable outlook is based on the expectation that DTN remains a core subsidiary of DTAC and that the migration of subscribers to its network continues, bringing regulatory savings.
Any change in DTAC’s credit rating will affect DTN accordingly.
DTN’s service revenues grew from Bt56.3 billion in 2014 to Bt63.7 billion in 2015. From 2016-18, DTN’s revenue is expected to continue rising at a moderate rate, reflecting its efforts to migrate subscribers on DTAC’s concession-based network to DTN’s licence-based network.
The growth prospects for data services are also strong.
DTN’s operating margin is expected to continue improving, reflecting the regulatory cost saving arising from the larger subscriber base.
DTN is expected to use about Bt56 billion for capital expenditures over 2016-18. – The Nation
