China Mobile and Japan-based NTT Docomo are looking to take control of Advanced Info Service (AIS)’s mobile business if it is required to pay a Bt74bn (US$2.3bn) bill owed to state-owned telco TOT, the Bangkok Post wrote.
The Chinese and Japanese…
China Mobile and Japan-based NTT Docomo are looking to take control of Advanced Info Service (AIS)’s mobile business if it is required to pay a Bt74bn (US$2.3bn) bill owed to state-owned telco TOT, the Bangkok Post wrote.
The Chinese and Japanese companies reportedly met with Thailand’s ICT minister Juti Krairiksh and three TOT executives to discuss a potential participation in AIS.
The newspaper wrote that South Korea’s SK Telecom has also been kept informed of developments by the Thai government.
The companies could not be reached for comment before the press deadline.
Since the beginning of the year, TOT has been searching for compensation from cellco AIS for allegedly not paying the agreed price for a mobile concession.
A few years ago, the former government changed its concession regime in order to reduce costs for consumers. But in 2007, the Council of State reportedly ruled that those changes failed to comply with regulations, as they had not been approved by coordinating committees and the Cabinet.
Overall, TOT is seeking about US$7bn from several mobile operators for alleged revenue losses. But according to the Nation newspaper a few days ago, AIS wrote to all twelve TOT directors and the acting president in early February, asking them to withdraw TOT’s damages claim by 9 February.
Since then, five members of the board have resigned for undisclosed reasons.
In recent weeks, TOT has been hit by another controversy. The company’s recent tender for a 3G network contract has been won by the Loxley-Samart consortium, which includes Huawei Technologies. But the auction was dogged by claims of a lack of fairness.
A source cited by the Bangkok Post said Juti asked NTT DoCoMo and China Mobile to submit their proposals by the middle of March.
