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Published on March 27, 2008

AIS chief executive Vikrom Sripataks yesterday said the firm would gauge demand again before making a final decision on the budget. He said AIS could get the service off the ground within three months once it had a National Telecommuni-cations Commission (NTC) licence.

Telecom-network provider United Information Highway (UIH) and CAT Telecom said recently they would each spend Bt1 billion and Bt500 million, respectively, on the WiMax roll-out.

The NTC has permitted 13 companies to test WiMax long-distance wireless broadband connectivity for three months and is expected to grant commercial licences this year.

Beside AIS, CAT, UIH and True, other major operators in the trial include CS Loxinfo, Loxley, TT&T, TOT and Total Access Communica-tion.

AIS president Wichian Mektrakarn said AIS had to come up with promising commercial plans if it wanted to be successful. People are now more familiar with the predominant WiFi short-range wireless access network service used to connect the Internet.

WiFi networks have been available in many prime areas through telecom operators that offer the service for free.

AIS conducted WiMax testing on Silom Road and in Chiang Rai and Chon Buri provinces and Pathum Thani's Lam Luk Ka district yesterday by deploying equipment from China's Huawei Technologies and Motorola of the US. AIS installed four WiMax base stations each on Silom Road, in Chon Buri and Lam Luk Ka and at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai.

AIS chief marketing officer Sanchai Thiewprasertkul said that from the test, WiMax could be used for providing high-speed broadband-Internet connectivity; the transmission channel to home telephones, replacing landline copper wire; wireless content; and videoconferencing.

He said WiMax signals could not travel very far in the metropolitan area, because of high-rises. People in Bangkok may not need WiMax, since they already have WiFi and ADSL.

"But we must launch WiMax here, to build up our brand image," he said.

In Lam Luk Ka, AIS has offered a residents in one village use of WiMax. Up to 1,000 houses in the village can be accommodated.

Sanchai estimates the monthly fee for commercial WiMax services at about Bt500.

He said WiMax could complement 3G broadband cellular service in providing data connectivity to users.

Another AIS subsidiary, Super Broadband Network, was also given NTC permission to test WiMax, and testing will start soon. It will use equipment from NEC and Nokia-Siemens.

True is another major firm testing WiMax in Bangkok and upcountry.

Last week, CAT tested WiMax in Chiang Mai province using ZTE and Motorola equipment. The state agency will spend Bt500 million to roll out a WiMax network in potential areas.

Last month, telecom-network provider UIH, together with Motorola and Intel, conducted a WiMax trial from a cruiser in the Andaman Sea off Phuket. UIH has set aside Bt1 billion to introduce WiMax in Bangkok and the Andaman islands, including Bt100 million for Phuket.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation