Delay in 3G approval for DTAC

A CAT source said yesterday that the agenda for the board's meeting today made no mention of the matter, and it would be considered at the next meeting on May 30. DTAC had hoped it would gain permission today.

The CAT source added that a meeting of the state agency's executive committee early this week told the management to initially examine whether granting the permission would mean CAT had to amend a clause in the DTAC concession. This states that CAT authorised DTAC alone to use the 800MHz spectrum band.

However, DTAC and some executives of its concession owner have already reached an informal agreement to jointly rearrange the 800MHz band in order to create additional bandwith totalling 5MHz for CAT to allocate to either True Move or Digital Phone to develop 3G services. Both True Move and DPC are also private mobile concessionaires of CAT.

DTAC has also agreed to consider the CAT proposal to use CAT's international call gateway to provide an overseas call service to its customers.

DTAC chief executive Sigve Brekke said yesterday that whether any spectrum adjustment by CAT would mean amendment of the concession depended on the state agency.