Advanced Info Service Plc spent about Bt130 million, while Total Access Communication and True Move each poured in about Bt100 million.

Other companies, like state-owned Hutchison-CAT and Thai Mobile,

also spent money on upgrades. The upgrades mainly involved adjustments to billing and IT systems and on campaigns to announce the new number policy.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) also spent Bt30 million on its publicity campaign to introduce the new policy, which comes into effect next month, when all mobile-phone numbers will begin with a 08 prefix, followed by eight digits.

For example, phone numbers that start with 01 will switch to a 081 prefix. Fixed-line telephone numbers will not change.

NTC chairman Choochart Prom-phrasid said the new numbering policy would lay the groundwork for the NTC's future plans to introduce number portability and third-generation (3G) licences. It will also resolve the current phone number shortage.

Thailand currently has more than 30 million mobile-phone users.

The long-awaited number portability policy will allow telecom users to keep their phone numbers after switching to different networks. The new 3G technology, based on wireless broadband, will allow faster data transmission.

The numbering plan will create 100 million mobile-phone numbers with a 08 prefix, of which 30 million would be reserved for future use.

Of the remaining 70 million, about 55 million are being used or have been reserved by cellular operators, leaving the NTC about 15 million numbers to allocate.

Mobile-phone service subscribers will be able to connect to other phones using the existing nine digit numbers until November 30.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation