The National Telecommunications Commission yesterday held a public hearing on its draft regulations governing issues such as standard telecom service contracts and telecom operators' adjustment of tariffs.

The NTC aims to eliminate any fixed term - whether for prepaid cellular or prepaid Internet access service - to protect consumers from having to rush and use up a service's call value before their service expires.

Representatives of the Foundation for Consumers and the Consumer Protection Board were all in favour of the measure.

But telecom operators have argued in the past that the NTC's measure would encourage some subscribers to be active call takers, instead of active callers, which would hurt profits. It will be much more difficult for them to determine if subscribers are still actively using their phone number.

Weerachai Patcharopaswong, assistant vice president of leading cellular operator Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS), said during the hearing that the elimination of the validity period would add to the cost of telecoms in maintaining phone numbers.

A representative of CAT Telecom Plc said that if telecoms cannot recover abandoned phone numbers for recycling, phone numbers

would steadily accumulate in the operators' switching system.

Representatives of True Move and Total Access Communication (DTAC) said telecom operators might opt to increase call fees for subscribers to recoup the cost of operating the phone numbers, which would surge if the NTC measure were implemented.

Of the about 30 million mobile-phone users in the country, 90 per cent are prepaid customers.

Anupab Tilalarp, a member of the NTC's committee drawing up the regulations, suggested that telecoms charge prepaid subscribers for "the maintenance" cost of holding prepaid phone numbers for a long time.

One consumer from the floor suggested the NTC add a penalty clause to the regulations to force companies to comply.

Besides the prohibition of the fixed validity period, the regulations forbid operators from requesting a deposit from users and force providers that charge more than actual usage to refund the excess plus interest to subscribers.

TOT Plc opposed one measure in the regulations that would waive the cost to subscribers when they inform their service provider that they would temporarily stop using the service.

A TT&T Plc representative opposed another measure in the regulations, which bans telecoms from encouraging subscribers to do something to favour the operators after the subscribers receive free or subsidised telecom equipment from the operators.

The TT&T representative said the offering of equipment in that manner was a kind of marketing strategy.

NTC member Sudharma Yoonaidharm said many measures in the regulations of the standard telecom service contract were in line with the telecom law, so the NTC would go ahead and implement them.

Some parts of the regulations will still need to be revised before they are submitted for the NTC's approval and implementation later, he said.

According to the regulations governing the adjustment of telecom tariffs, the rates and fees on the date the regulations go into effect will be taken as the maximum level until the NTC announces new tariffs.

The telecom operators have to inform the NTC of their tariff structure and service fees every month and they have to submit a new tariff for NTC approval 14 days in advance of introducing new rates.

Athueck Asvanund, vice chairman of True Corp Plc, disagreed with the requirement that telecoms have to submit their marketing plan for the NTC's consideration every time they want to launch a marketing strategy.

He is concerned that competitors might have a chance to see the company's marketing plans if True has to send the plans for regulatory approval.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation