Dtac takes NBTC to court as 2G service faces cut

Dtac takes NBTC to court as 2G service faces cut

Total Access Communication Plc (Dtac) filed a complaint with the Administrative Court on Tuesday accusing the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission of failing to protect its mobile phone customers as the regulator prepared to cut all services on the 850-megahertz, mostly 2G phone spectrum.

Dtac's contract will expire on Saturday along with the end of its 27-year concession to use the spectrum.

The country's third largest mobile phone operator, Dtac argued that the NBTC allowed other operators to maintain mobile phone services for their customers after their concessions ran out, pending the selection of new spectrum licensees.

"Dtac would like to make it clear that the same law must apply to everybody equally," argued Raweepun Pitakchatiwong, head of Dtac's legal division.

"Anyone who fails to comply with the law and discriminates against Dtac's users must be responsible for their actions. And Dtac will take all necessary legal actions to protect its customers," 

About 346,000 mobile phone customers use Dtac's 850MHz spectrum network. Without a remedy from the NBTC, their phones would be disconnected from the nationwide phone service on Saturday.

Apart from the customers directly used 850MHz facilities, Dtac earlier said that about 1 million other customers would also be affected because the roaming system of their phones depended on the 850MHz spectrum.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT