Rebuked over WiFi

In making a further request for public use of the frequency yesterday, ATCI president Jumrud Sawangsamud said the NTC's approval would allow WiFi transmissions supporting mobile computers and electronics devices.

He said that over the past year and a half, the association had sent four letters requesting NTC approval for imports of mobile computers with a standard wireless chipset that could also use the 5GHz frequency for WiFi under International Telecommunications Union global standards. The commission has permitted the import of the equipment but not the use of the wireless chipset.

"ICT vendors have produced products that comply with the same international standard, so it is necessary for the NTC to approve the public use of the 5GHz frequency range. It will be useful for people to access and send information via WiFi networks," said Jumrud, adding that Thailand was one of only four countries in the world that had not yet opened the frequency range for public use. The other three countries are Bangladesh, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

Accharas Ouysinprasert, country manager of Intel Microelectronics (Thailand), which produces chipsets that can use the 5GHz frequency, said permission to use the frequency range would allow Thai users to have more wireless connection channels with higher capability. It enables five times higher wireless throughput than transmissions in the 2.4GHz range, with up to 300 megabits per second of throughput when both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency ranges are used concurrently.

Moreover, users will have access to new and advanced electronic devices like notebook computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, digital printers, game players and other WiFi-certified products.

Accharas said WiFi was a wireless connection between network devices  and terminal devices like laptops, personal computers and telephones. The number of WiFi cellular "smart phones" in use around the world is expected to increase from 55 million now to 100 million by 2010.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation