TELECOMMUNICATIONS OVERSEAS CALLS

CAT wants ruling on international '+' sign

KOMSAN TORTERMVASANA

State-owned CAT Telecom has asked the National Telecommunications Commission to issue a ruling on whether it retains exclusive use of the ''+'' sign used for international calls. The move is in response to a growing dispute between CAT Telecom and mobile telephone leader Advanced Info Service, which last month established a new business unit to manage international calls.

Previously, mobile users calling abroad using the international ''+'' sign followed by the country code and telephone number automatically accessed either the 001 or 009 international calling services offered by CAT Telecom.

But according to CAT Telecom, since last month AIS calls routed abroad have been made through AIS International Network, a subsidiary of AIS.

AIS remapped all of its international calls using the ''+'' sign to avoid CAT's networks and instead tap the 005 network run by AIS International Network. Marut Booranasettakul, a CAT senior executive vice-president, said the move was costing CAT more than 200 million baht per month.

''AIS International Network is not really competing on fair terms. The '+' symbol is reserved for CAT, and we want the NTC to issue a ruling on this,'' he said. ''Regardless of how the NTC rules, we believe customers should be allowed to choose what international network they use.''

CAT also notes that AIS was linked to a fibre optic international network despite the fact that its operating concession was only for mobile wireless communications.

Mr Marut said international calling traffic from AIS customers, typically averaging 60 million call-minutes per month, had dropped by 10 million minutes per month as a result of the move by AIS International Network, resulting in lost revenues of over 200 million baht per month.
For 2007, CAT Telecom expects its revenues to drop to around seven billion baht, compared with 10 billion last year, due to increased competition as authorities liberalise the Internet gateway and mobile markets.

Bangkok Post
Tuesday April 03, 2007