Cellular operators optimistic about growth

As a result, Total Access Communication (DTAC) will focus more on acquiring new subscribers in the growing North and Northeast while trying its best to maintain its customer base in the mature Bangkok market, CEO Sigve Brekke said yesterday.

He said the overall market still recorded growth over the past two months. But in the past few weeks, although the number of calls did not drop, people made calls of shorter duration, in order to save money.

Brekke said he did not think the economic situation would hit DTAC's revenue so badly that the company would have to revise its present revenue-growth forecast of 5-10 per cent this year.

"We've no reason to revise the revenue projection now," Brekke said.

DTAC now has about 18 million subscribers.

True Move CEO Supachai Chearavanont recently said upcountry residents still had spending power.

Despite the oil-price hike, the overall mobile-phone service market continues to grow in terms of revenue and new-users, although the growth rate is slower than last year, he said.

True Move, which has about 12 million subscribers, will focus on greater innovation in the second half. One brainchild is a SIM card that is actually a combined smart card and SIM card.

Advanced Info Service (AIS) executive vice president Somchai Lertsutiwong said the airtime market would not feel the pinch of rising oil prices, because people had saved on transportation in favour of spending more on calls.

AIS has more than 24 million subscribers and expects to acquire another 4 million this year.

In the second half, AIS will focus on budget control and increasing operating efficiency, said AIS president Wichian Mektrakarn.