NTC gives nod for consumer-protection institute
The board of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) yesterday approved a plan to establish the telecom consumer-protection institute.
NTC secretary-general Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn said the NTC would finance the creation of the independent body, which would take charge of complaints from consumers about telecommunications services. The NTC will invite qualified persons in the telecom and consumer sectors to manage the organisation. Mobile-phone subscribers who encountered call congestion early this month due to heavy call promotions by all cellular operators are likely to be first off the block with complaints. The NTC will also hold a public hearing next Tuesday on the draft regulations for the standard telecom service contract and the draft regulations for the adjustment of telecom tariffs. "The main objective is to protect telecom consumers," Suranan said. He said the NTC had also approved regulations governing the regulator's plans to test a new process for awarding the Type-1 licences. Under the new process, the NTC will focus on follow-up procedures after granting the licence, instead of the present system of spending considerable time on the documents involved in the applications before eventually giving or refusing approval. The new process is expected to enable the NTC to grant a licence within seven days, down from the average period now of six months. The Type-1 licence is for applicants without their own network. "We'll try the new process for one year. If it works, we may apply it to the other types of licence as well," Suranan added. The NTC's board also agreed to grant a Type-2 licence to Sky Office, a subsidiary of True Corp Plc, to provide an international Internet gateway service. The Type-2 licence is for applicants with or without their own network whose service is intended for a limited group of people. It also agreed to award a Type-3 licence to Millcom Systems to operate an Internet access service and a Type-1 licence to Sawasdee Shop to operate an Internet access service. The Type-3 licence is for applicants with large networks whose entry into competition could have a significant impact on the public.
Usanee Mongkolporn The Nation
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