City Hall is committed to pressing ahead with the construction of its conduit project stretching 2,450 kilometres in Bangkok regardless of TOT's indication that it already has a combined 2,500km in length of conduits in the capital.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) said its business arm Krungthep Thanakom (KT) indicated 7km in length of its conduit project has been completed as a pilot project. There is no need to roll it back, it said.
TOT has indicated 48.7km in length of its existing conduits on 12 routes under 11 Bangkok roads are now in good shape and ready to use.
City Hall, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and TOT have agreed in principle to support the use of 48.7km in length of conduits for the government's project putting overhead cables underground in the capital.
This was agreed upon when Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta, NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith, BMA deputy governor Sophon Pisutthiwong and TOT management met at the NBTC office on Monday.
The meeting was to discuss the readiness of TOT's conduits to serve government policy.
After the meeting, authorities surveyed Asok intersection, one of the areas where the TOT conduits are laid and ready to use. However, Mr Sophon refused to join the survey.
Mr Sophon said he disagrees with TOT repairing or renovating existing unfixed conduits.
He said BMA has a three-pronged stance about the conduit project.
First, City Hall stands ready to support telecom and broadcasting operators burying overhead cable in underground conduits.
Second, BMA would not allow any parties to dig up roads without formal approval.
Lastly, the administration through KT has been approved by the National Digital Economy and Society Committee to move ahead with the project since last year.
"BMA wants to put some cables such as those linked with CCTV and warning systems into the conduits, apart from those handled by telecom and broadcasting operators," Mr Sophon said.
City Hall is handling the project with the latest tech for microduct installation.
TOT senior executive vice-president Morakot Thienmontree said the TOT conduits put under 12 routes are physically ready to use and they can serve the government's project with a faster timeline.
Mr Buddhipongse said the DES Ministry is ready to cooperate with the BMA when TOT needs to install risers on pavements.
Risers are used to connect cables from buildings to the underground conduits.