He also questioned whether it was appropriate that TOT, which initiated the idea of a telecom network pool, seemed to get the most benefit from the initiative, not the public.

"The government should not confuse people by telling them that what benefits TOT will also benefit the whole country. I think they are different things. TOT has to compete to survive, instead of surviving by seizing back regulatory power," Korn said in an interview with The Nation this week.

His remark is in reaction to the attempt of those involved in the amendment process and the planned telecom network pool to finish the process within the term of this government, which will end in October.

Korn added that the existing telecom law was very good, given that it covered many key issues.

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has already kick-started the process to amend the telecom and frequency-allocation laws in order to pave the way for the merger of the independent telecom and broadcasting regulatory bodies.

The NLA subcommittee on science and information and communications technology, which held its first hearing on a telecom-law amendment early this month, proposed that after the merger the National Telecommunications Commission's role be limited to regulating the industry. Its role should not include, as at present, delivering policies, which should be the job of the government alone.

"If you want to curb the regulator's power, you must be able to clearly explain how the public would get the maximum benefit," Korn said.

The subcommittee will hold a second hearing tomorrow.

The Frequency Allocation Act of 2000 mandates the establishment of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The NTC was established three years ago, while the NBC is still in the process of re-establishment, a state of affairs which has deterred the NTC from issuing new frequency licences. This in turn has blocked development in telecom and broadcasting services.

The Frequency Allocation Act mandates that both licensing bodies jointly manage the telecom and broadcasting spectrums and prescribe use.

The Central Administrative Court ruled in November 2005 to invalidate the process of selecting 14 candidates for NBC seats, citing its unconstitutionality.

The NLA subcommittee also proposed that the Telecom Act of 2001 state clearly that the interconnection charge would be applied to all telecom operators, whether private concessionaires of state telecom agencies or the regulator's licensees.

Moreover, the law should state clearly that the merged regulator had authority over the private concessions of the state agencies.

The NTC's existing rule requires all telecom operators to bilaterally share voice and data revenue between signatories to the interconnection-charge deals.

TOT has opposed the use of the interconnection charge by private telecom concessionaires on the grounds that they are not NTC licensees like TOT, according to its interpretation of the Telecom Act.

The state agency wants to keep its access charge, which is the cost all private cellular concessionaires of CAT Telecom have paid to TOT for connecting different networks via TOT's facilities.

Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Move, which hold CAT concessions, want to exit the access charge for the interconnection charge.

Telecom Reporters

The Nation