The Nation | February 3, 2011 | Usanee Mongkolporn
The National Telecommunications Commission will examine details of the CAT Telecom-True Corp-Hutchison group deals to decide which aspects of the contracts it should involve itself in.
NTC member Natee Sukonrat yesterday said the watchdog should demonstrate a clear stance on the three-way contracts.
Meanwhile, CAT management moved to allay doubts surrounding the deals by addressing its employees.
Information and Communications Technology Minister Chuti Krairiksh will set up a committee to look into the details, after doubts by some senior CAT executives that the state agency had rushed the granting of the contracts. There is also concern that they may have to comply with the 1992 Public-Private Joint Venture Act.
Total Access Communication (DTAC), which holds a concession from CAT, has asked for discussions about a possible revision of its benefit-sharing terms with the agency, as it is concerned that it might lose advantage as a result of the deals.
True Corp vice chairman Athueck Asvanund said the deals were not related to the True concession, but concerned wholesale-resale contracts.
On January 27 Last Thursday, CAT granted four main contracts to True subsidiaries Real Move and Real Future in their collaboration on development of third-generation telecom service.
Real Future will install 3G equipment on CAT’s two separate CDMA (code division multiple access) 2000 1-x networks, which together have nationwide coverage, for 14 years. These are for leasing to CAT to provide a wholesale service.
Real Move will oversee the existing 700,000 CDMA customers for CAT, and will resell the planned 3G service for the agency for 14 years.
CAT chief executive officer Jirayuth Rungsrithong on Monday addressed doubts surrounding the contracts to the agency’s employees.
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