#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/business/40017681

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The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on Tuesday resolved to set up another panel after four existing subcommittees ended up in a deadlock over the merger of two telecom giants.

Asource from the NBTC said the telecom watchdog also approved the office’s proposal to extend the period for the study of the merger of True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC) by another month.

The 60-day period for consideration of the merger ended on July 10 and the NBTC extended it to August 11, the source said on Wednesday.

According to the source, the NBTC decided during its meeting on Tuesday to set up a subcommittee on trade competition to study the deal after votes by four subcommittees — on law, on consumer protection and citizens’ rights, on technology, and on economics — were tied 2-2.

The NBTC said that a decision of the new subcommittee would assist the watchdog in making a final and prudent decision.

“Now, that the subpanels have tied 2-2 in their opinions, a subcommittee on trade competition will make the decision more prudently and it will be a decisive vote,” the source said.

So far, the NBTC Office has held three focus group public hearings from academics, the civil sector and consumer groups, and related businesses.

The source said the NBTC Office has not yet finished writing reports on the results of the three hearings for the NBTC to consider.

The source added that the existing NBTC commissioners indicated that they would go ahead in making the final decision on the deal next month without waiting for two new NBTC members to be appointed. The two new members’ qualifications are still being scrutinised by the Senate.

The NBTC source said he could not tell how four other NBTC members would vote but he could sense that all members were worried about the consumers’ interests after the merger, which would result in just two major players in the telecom market – the newly merged firm and Advanced Info Service (AIS),

The source said if the new firm is prohibited from raising monthly fees of mobile phone airtime or internet connection services, it might reduce airtime or connection data or internet speed in return.

Telecom industry observers believe the NBTC is now under higher pressure to consider the True-DTAC deal after AIS itself announced last week its plan to acquire fixed broadband provider Triple T Broadband.

Meanwhile, an academic, Chatchai Tuongboriphan, expressed his opposition to the merger of True and DTAC.

Chatchai said the merger of telecom firms are different from the earlier merger of CP Retail Development with Tesco Stores (Thailand).

Chatchai explained that the merger of two retailers had two markets to play – modern trade and traditional trade — while the merger of telecom firms would affect only one market, causing a severe impact.

Chatchai noted that DTAC has sent out strong signals that it was preparing to exit from the market after its subscriber base fell from second place 20 years ago to third place now. He said DTAC has lost a lot of customers to the two other major players.

He said the merger would result in 47 per cent of market share for AIS and 52 per cent for True and the two key players would eventually stop competing against each other and consumers would no longer receive attractive packages from the two like what they got during fierce competition between three major players.

Published : July 13, 2022

By : THE NATION