Published on June 24, 2005

KSC Commercial Internet will capitalise on being the first Internet licensee of the national telecom regulator by offering cheaper Internet services in coming weeks.

KSC managing director Craig White yesterday said the company would cash in on its new licence and its freedom from CAT Telecom’s licensing system to offer more competitive prices to subscribers.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) granted its first Internet license yesterday to KSC, just one day after the firm’s existing licence with CAT expired. KSC paid about Bt30,000 for its new license.

“I’m very delighted to get the new license,” said White.

The expiry of its existing license allows KSC to freely choose any network it deems affordable. It hopes to bring down network costs as a result.

The other Internet service providers still under CAT licences must persist, for the time being, with CAT networks.

Former Internet regulator CAT owns a 32 per cent share in all ISPs, including KSC, but has never had to cough up a baht for its stakes.

KSC yesterday submitted a letter to the NTC, informing it that the company no longer accept the existing CAT rates because they were too expensive.

KSC is also looking to cash in on cheaper network interconnection charges, to be introduced by the NTC in the next 45 days, so it can offer cheaper services.

One NTC commissioner, Sudharma Yoonaidharma, said KSC could continue leasing CAT networks without payment until the NTC announced new cheaper interconnection charges.

After that, KSC will retrospectively pay the network leasing cost to CAT, but according to the NTC’s new, cheaper rates.

White said he had heard a report that other ISPs would soon set up new companies to apply for NTC licences.

Another NTC commissioner, Sethaporn Cusripituck, said if companies sought agreements under their existing names, they might run into problems.

“It will be easier to get new licences using their new companies,” he said.

KSC is wholly owned by I KSC, of which the multimedia giant MIH and Jasmine International own 62.5 per cent and 37.5 per cent respectively.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation

Post your comment to this story here