EDITORIAL
In less than two weeks, barring possible legal hitches, Thailand will start to move its telecommunications services up a notch. Already one of the world's top telephone-dependent nations, our country has fallen far behind in the technology employed. So-called third generation (3G) services allow mobile telephones to have the same internet access and advantages as deskbound computers. Everyone else of note in the world including all our neighbours have 3G-enabled phones. Now we finally are on the verge of 3G. But first, we have bickering and threats.
On Sept 20, at a heavily guarded Hua Hin hotel, members of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) plan to open bids from the three top Thai mobile phone operators. Starting from a reserve price of more than 12 billion baht, AIS, DTAC and True Move will try to get one of the two, 10-year 3G licences on auction, and radio spectrum needed for the service.
The NTC, known not always admiringly as the Magnificent Seven, has stepped up, after a mind-numbing four years' delay, to fill a vacuum. It has many detractors. Among them is MP Chen Thaugsuban. Mr Chen last week demanded that DTAC be expelled from bidding because it is foreign controlled. The chairman of the Senate's telecoms committee wants bids annulled because they are too generous to the companies, and cheat taxpayers. Other critics want the telecoms duopoly TOT and CAT Telecom to challenge the auction because they cannot, or will not bid.
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