The new board of TOT has given top priority to evaluating the financial risks of its court disputes with private telecom operators and will determine how they should be solved.
TOT chairman, Areepong Bhoocha-oom, who is also director-general of the Excise Department, made the remark yesterday after the first meeting of the new board.
TOT and the private telecom operators have been engaged in numerous court disputes with combined damage claims worth over Bt10 billion.
Areepong added the board would also determine TOT's direction in coping with its private telecom concessions, whose terms are nearly at an end.
TOT has relied mainly on concessions' revenue.
The state agency owns the concessions of Advanced Info Service, True Corp, and TT&T. Last year AIS paid a concession fee of over Bt18.2 billion to TOT.
The board will also further support for the TOT broadband Internet access service business, which TOT has positioned as its new revenue source.
Currently TOT has over one million broadband Internet subscribers.
The board also asked TOT management to summarise the state agency's plan to roll out the new nationwide 3G network, costing almost Bt20 billion, and submit it for the board's consideration on July 23.
TOT is waiting for Cabinet to approve its 3G network roll out plan. TOT debuted the 3G service last December but the network currently covers only Greater Bangkok.