Court tells TOT to let cell calls through
The Central Administrative Court yesterday ordered TOT Plc to connect its subscribers and the 1.5 million new phone users of Total Access Communication (DTAC) in order to avoid hassles for consumers.
The ruling is in effect until the case is completely investigated or the court decides otherwise. However, DTAC and True Move claimed they found a new problem with TOT. Users of their new numbers can't place calls to a TOT number. Before yesterday their new users could still call a TOT subscriber, but could not receive calls from TOT customers. Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom asked TOT if it blocked calls from the new numbers of DTAC and True Move to its subscribers. The state agency kept denying that it had blocked the numbers. On Wednesday DTAC asked the court to issue an injunction against TOT and demanded more than Bt73 million in compensation from the state agency for damages relating to the dispute, plus Bt15 million per day for lost business. Their dispute stems from TOT's refusal to integrate 1.5 million new phone numbers from DTAC and also True Move into its network because they stopped paying it access charges. A telecom company needs all other operators to integrate - or "translate" - its new numbers into their switching systems so that the numbers are recognised by other networks. TOT's refusal to register the new numbers means calls from TOT's telephones cannot reach the new numbers belonging to DTAC and True Move. Both cellular operators have already sold out the new numbers to subscribers. DTAC has distributed 300,000 new numbers to dealers, of which 10,000 have been snapped up. Sitthichai has assigned CAT Telecom to talk with DTAC and True Move to seek a resolution to the access-charge dispute between the two cellular operators and TOT. CAT granted DTAC and True Move their concessions. The access charge at the heart of the dispute is a cost to the cellular operators under CAT. It covers the cost of TOT's facilities to connect their subscribers' calls to other networks. Holders of CAT concessions include DTAC, True Move and Digital Phone Co. DTAC intends to pay the access charge to TOT, but at an interconnection-charge rate of Bt1.25 per minute instead of the original access-charge rate of Bt8 a minute. The interconnection charge, introduced recently by the National Telecommunications Commission, requires all operators to share revenues from voice and data calls between their networks on a fair basis. DTAC and True Move say they want to pay only the interconnection charge, instead of paying both the access and interconnection fees. TOT has been earning about Bt14 billion per year from the access charges.
Telecom Reporters The Nation
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