Thailand's three main mobile operators have ramped up their mobile signalling capacity around the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang to handle an anticipated surge in traffic this weekend as people continue to mourn the passing of His Majesty the King.
The operators have also prepared free WiFi access around the areas to offload mobile networks during the expected period of heavy mobile broadband usage.
Starting today, mourners will be allowed to pay their respects before the Royal Funeral Urn of the late King from 8am to 9pm after the 15-day royal merit-making ceremony was completed yesterday.
Lars Norling, chief executive of Total Access Communication (DTAC), said the company has prepared four mobile signalling vehicles plus 40 small cell antennas to expand network capacity and coverage around the areas.
The company has also set up a working team to stand by for network monitoring to provide around the clock service.
DTAC has installed 44 WiFi hotspots in the area around Sanam Luang, plus an additional 26 hotspots around the Grand Palace.
In October, the company's mobile data traffic in these areas has surged by 300% month-on-month, said Mr Norling. The peak time is between 12pm and 2pm.
Wilai Keangpradoo, senior vice-president for public relations of Advanced Info Service (AIS), said the company has increased its WiFi capacity for the public, regardless of which mobile-network operator a user subscribes to.
But AIS customers will be able to access AIS Super WiFi in Sanam Luang and all the roads surrounding the Grand Palace.
AIS has also stationed mobile signalling vans throughout the area, increasing its network capacity by fivefold.
For its part, third-ranked TrueMove has prepared four mobile vans to support heavy mobile usage in the area.
The company will also provide free public WiFi service with an average download speed of 10 megabits per second.
Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said the regulator yesterday had sent letters to all major mobile operators, urging them to ensure mobile signal capacity to accommodate the massive traffic usage.