ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation
THE NATIONAL Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has dismissed reports that the government and the NBTC have pressured Advanced Info Service into signing a memorandum of understanding on consumer protection and industry promotion with True Corp.
The reports raised questions about why the government had to intervene in this matter between two private operators.
Some parties are reportedly even suspicious that the MoU could lead to bid-rigging.
However, the MoU had nothing to do with the upcoming re-auctioning of a 900-megahertz licence, Takorn said. It only involved consumer protection and the industry’s growth, he said while declining to elaborate, citing confidentiality.
The NBTC will be the witness to the MoU signing expected today.
High-ranking AIS and True executives did meet with Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam, the NBTC and Information Communications and Technology Minister Uttama Savanayana last Tuesday to discuss details of the MoU, he said.
The government on April 12 invoked its special powers under Article 44 of the junta-imposed interim charter to order the NBTC to hold the 900MHz auction on May 27 and extended the switch-off of AIS’s second-generation cellular service to June 30 from April 14.
By April 12, Takorn said AIS and True would also sign the MoU to end their dispute before the new 900MHz auction.
According to an NBTC source, the MoU covers two points.
The first is about a possible agreement that will see AIS roaming its 900MHz subscribers on True’s 900MHz network before AIS ends its service on that spectrum.
The other condition is to settle the disputes stemming from True’s allowing its rivals’ mobile-phone subscribers to request phone-number transfers at 7-Eleven convenience stores. AIS believed that did not comply with the NBTC’s rules.
Takorn said the MoU did not force AIS to roam its 2G subscribers with True. Both sides are free to make any agreement, he added.
AIS also denied it was forced to sign the MoU with True.
In a statement to respond to the reports in social networks, it said that it and state authorities had discussed how it would take care of its customers before the new auction for a 900MHz licence took place.
It also had nothing to do with the MoU document circulating in social networks, it said.
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