The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) approved the interconnection regulations yesterday.

Commissioner Sudharma Yoonaidharma said the rules were expected to appear this month in the Royal Gazette.

The regulations in draft form had only applied to licensed telecoms, but private telecoms operating as concessionaires were added by the NTC after last month's public hearing on the draft.

The private telecoms under CAT Telecom Plc are expected to apply more pressure TOT Plc to stop collecting access charges from them, because they do not want to be stuck paying both the new interconnection fees and TOT's access charges.

The interconnection tariff requires all telecoms to share voice and data revenue from calls between their networks at rates yet to be disclosed.

Total Access Communication (DTAC), True Move and Digital Phone Co have been paying access charges to TOT as the cost of connecting to other networks via TOT facilities.

Advanced Info Service Plc has been exempted from the charge, because it operates under a TOT concession.

All of the private telecoms under CAT are reportedly preparing to consult formally with the NTC on what to do with the access charge.

But Sudharma said the NTC could not intervene, because the case involved an agreement between TOT and CAT's partners.

The NTC would impose interim interconnection rates, since its licensees - TOT and CAT - had failed to agree on rates, he said. Then the NTC would handle the case in its dispute-settlement process.

The NTC also approved the draft national numbering plan, which will take effect in September. 

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation