True Online, a subsidiary compa¬ny of True Corp, launches its new broadband Internet service called Eco HighSpeed Internet with the aim to increase total consumer broadband Internet users to reach 800,000 to 900,000 users by the end this year.
The package is to offer 2 megabit per second Internet service with monthly of Bt399 for 100 hours of usage. It will charge Bt5 per hour for the extra use up to maximum Bt799 per month. To subscribe this package, users will get free router for 12 months.
Nonheavy users
It is designed to attract nonheavy Internet users who are dialup Internet users, accessing Internet at home with mobile Internet connection, using Internet cafes and new Internet users.
These groups are high potential growth users, said Non Ingkutanon, general manger, Wireless Broadband Service Business at True Corp.
It is to help increase 30,000 new consumer broadband Internet users per month for True Online. Currently, it has totally 718,000 subscribers by the end of the first quarter this year, of which is around 20,000 users on the provinces. Now, True Online has almost 70 per cent of market share in consumer broadband Internet market.
"We have over 1 million broad¬band Internet subscribers if we include business users and data circuit. By the end of this year, we expect to have consumer broadband maximum 900,000 users," said Non.
This package also aims to help the country to increase broadband Internet penetration as this year total broadband Internet users are expected to reach 3 million users that is around 30 per cent of growth rate increased from last year.
True Online expects to have total revenue of Bt27 billion by the end of this year that is 10 per cent increased from last year. Around Bt11 billion will come from broad¬band Internet and data and Bt16 billion will come from voice and other businesses, said Vichaow Rakphongphairoj managing direc¬tor of True Online.
"True Online generates over 50 per cent of total True Corp's revenue that expected to reach Bt55billion. Broadband Internet and data revenue have continuously growing over 10 per cent per year, while voice revenue is decline," said Vichaow.
This year, True Online plans to invest Bt2.5 billion to lay down broadband network in rural areas which is the high growth areas of broadband Internet.
Vichaow said the company has designed this package for four months and launching this eco package is not due to the ICT Ministry's policy to roll out the broadband Internet throughout the country.
He added this policy benefits to the entire Internet market and to increase the country's broadband Internet penetration. True Online is willing to support the ministry.
"It is the good initiative to help people get Internet access widely with affordable cost. Our ecopackage is not to beat this campaign but we want to increase consumer broadband Internet users by attract new Internet users and exiting users who use the dialup service, mobile Internet service, and Internet cafe service to use this package," said Vichaow.
Apart from the eco package, True Online also provides wide ranges of broadband Internet services included Bt599 for 4 Mbps, Bt799 for 5 Mbps, Bt999 for 6 Mbps, Bt1,199 for 8 Mbps, Bt1,699 for 12 Mbps, and Bt2,199 for 16 Mbps.