THREE FIRMS READY TO OFFER BROADBAND WIRELESS SERVICE

       Three firms have proposed to use TOT's existing cellular network, which is being upgraded to the 3G technology, to provide a 3G wireless boradband service.
       TOT president Varut Suvakorn yesterday mentioned only two of them, Samart Corp and 365 Communications.
       365 Communications was reportedly founded by a group of experts in e-banking solutions development led by Surin Ritteephamorn, vice president for e-business of consumer finance provider Krungthai Card.
       Wichien Naksrinual, a TOT senior executive vice president, said the state enterprise would call in the three firms to propose their terms and conditions as mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), including their plans to purchase airtime, their marketing details and their customer targets.
       MVNOs do not have their own network but buy airtime from telecom operators to provide their cellular service.
       Wichien expects that TOT could wrap up the deals with them at the end of this month and then they would sign non-disclosure agreements.
       He said that no cellular operator would propose to be an MVNO on TOT's 3G network as this might prejudice their planned bid for a 3G licence from the National Telecommunications Commision on the 3.1GHz spectrum.
       TOT is upgrading 500 base stations on its 1900MHz network in Greater Bangkok to 3G, which provides wireless data transmission at a blazing speed to 3G mobile phone users.
       It expects to be ready to kick off the network service on December 1.
       The network for the upgrade has the capacity to serve 500,000 customers.
       TOT will utilise part of it to provide its own retail 3G service, targeting 100,000 customers in the first month.
       Wichien said Advanced Info Service and True Move are interested in allowing the users of TOT's network to roam with their networks for voice calls when they travel outside Greater Bangkok.
       TOT is also interested in allowing the subscribers of the two cellular operators, who have 3G phones, to roam with its network for fast downloads of multimedia content.
       TOT plans to spend some Bt20 billion on rolling out the new 3G network nationwide but the project is pending Cabinet approval.

       TOT is upgrading 500 base stations on its 1900MHz network in Greater Bangkok to 3G, which provides wireless data transmission at a blazing speed to 3G mobile phone users.