The chairman of Thailand’s state-owned telco TOT has said he will resign unless the company’s Bt19bn (US$633m) bid for its 3G network expansion project fails to get approval, according to the Bangkok Post.
Areepong Bhoocha-oom reportedly said he hoped…
The chairman of Thailand’s state-owned telco TOT has said he will resign unless the company’s Bt19bn (US$633m) bid for its 3G network expansion project fails to get approval, according to the Bangkok Post.
Areepong Bhoocha-oom reportedly said he hoped that bidding documents could be sold by next week, the bid called by the end of the month and the contract signed in February.
If that schedule was not met, he is reported to have said that he would review his position.
TOT has been applying to develop its 3G network, which will reportedly cover 50% of the population in 15 provinces. A substantial proportion of the Thai population (around 20 million people) already have access to 3G.
The Bangkok Post reported that Areepong said the review of the 3G network expansion plan has been behind schedule because of legal problems with the documentation, which the Office of the Attorney General was analysing.
The topic of 3G networks in Thailand has become increasingly tense and complex in recent months.
At the same time as TOT’s protected attempt to expand its 3G network, there have been delays in the country’s planned auction of further 3G licences.
The government suspended the auction in September following complaints from TOT and the other state-owned telco CAT that the existing telecoms regulator did not have the authority to hold the auction.
CAT and TOT also complained that the 3G auction would hit their revenues.
In November, the government created a new National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which has been charged with carrying out the auction.
The country’s Senate recently passed a Frequency Allocation bill, but experts believe that the auction will not take place until next year.
Thailand is falling behind its Asian neighbours in the development of telecoms technology. Neigbouring Cambodia and Laos are rolling out 3G services, while other Asian countries – including – are bringing in 4G technology.
