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Published on January 16, 2008

CEO Sigve Brekke yesterday said the company would send the request to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) today.

DTAC wants to replace CAT, its concession-granter, in its 1800MHz digital spectrum and 850MHz analogue spectrum. It also wants the unused 900MHz band, which is held by the NTC, to make it more efficient for DTAC to roll out its network.

DTAC is the latest cellular operator making a request, after True Move and Advanced Info Service (AIS). A telecom industrialist said DTAC was trying to pressure the NTC to bands for the whole industry, not just individual cases.

DTAC's 1800MHz service has 17 million subscribers, while its 850MHz business has about 50,000 subscribers. "Not only do we have to defend our rights, we also want to urge the NTC to come up with the national frequency plan," Brekke said.

DTAC cited the same reasons as True Move in asking to replace CAT in using the 1800MHz and 850MHz bands.

True Move made its request to the NTC last month to replace CAT in using some bands of the 1800MHz spectrum, which are being used by DTAC. It also notified the NTC it wanted to replace CAT in owning 1800MHz frequencies that it uses itself.

True Move has 12 million customers and has mentioned many times that it wants more frequencies to ease the congestion on the 12.5MHz bandwidth in its 1,800MHz spectrum.

In laying a claim on its own spectrum, Athueck Asvanund, vice chairman of True Corp, said the move responded to an amendment in the frequency-allocation law, which requires the user and holder of a frequency to be the same entity.

He is concerned the clause could bring legal troubles on True Move and other operators when it is passed into law. TOT and CAT are the legal owners of the operators' frequencies.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation