In the article, Thailand's attempt to auction 3G mobile licences was failed because of state firm CAT Telecom's argument. The reasons of this argument is about the interests would be damaged because private operators pay lower fees and the authority to sell the licences which the National Telecommunications Commission did not have. So, the result of this argument according courts ordering the regulator to halt the auction. Other reasons are about politics and legality. While many countries in Asia are introducing 4G technology, in Thailand 3G technology services cannot fully work even Thailand has been promoting 3G since 2003. However, Thailand's poorer neighbours such as Cambodia and Laos have 3G services fully work. Thailand is falling behind from others countries in the region.
Anyone cannot deny that today technologies is important for people in everyday life and every part of the world. Mostly people in the world have and use mobile phones for many purposes, even in Thailand. Technologies for mobile phones were develop for long time such as mobile looks, functions and suitable frequency for support any function in mobile phones. 3G services is the one develop frequency for mobile phones in this decade. In Thailand many people waiting for 3G services for long time according to the article "Thailand has been promoting 3G since 2003". It's over 7 years for wait and must be waiting ever and ever. Many mobile phones that sell in Thailand nowadays can support to connect with 3G. Unfortunately, 3G services in Thailand cannot fully work, just work in limit area. In the article said it has some conflict among private firm, state firm and government organization. More than that, the law or part of law conflict to other laws which issue in different time, different authors. The law must be present in the same way and has no conflict. This can be the reason why Thailand cannot find the best conclusion in this situation. Today just halt the auction and someday maybe the auction will begin again. But who knows, how long do we waiting for?
__________
References
Thailand 'falls behind' poorer neighbours on 3G. (2010, September 23). BBC News. Retrieved September 27, 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11395752
Thanks Orn,
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realised just how badly Thailand looked because of the mess about the 3G licences. I see the headlines in The Nation and The Bangkok Post about it, but I don't usually read the articles (I usually just read the comics and sometimes the editorials in those papers).
The reasons for the delay all seem very weak to me - even it it's true that teh CAT would be harmed by allowing fair competition, it should be allowed because it will help all of Thailand and the Thai people.
For the same reason, I think Tesco-Lotus and other big supermarkets should be allowed to build everywhere in Thailand. It will hurt some small shops, but it will help all of the Thai economy and the Thai people.
I hope the 3G, and 4G, mess is solved soon. I think the problem is too much government power and control. If there were less government control, private companies, including foreign companies, could provide a much better, cheaper and more efficient service to Thai people.
Orn, your topic is really hot. I think it's a huge benefit that many parties want to share this cake. It might take very long long time for 3G in our country. I saw some scoop last week, they interview Thai people in Japan. They said that Japan have used 3G technology for ten year, poor Thailand.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI just know one thing CAT abbreviate from Cancel Any Technologies from Thai people !!
ReplyDeletesorry for nonsensical, actually I think, the problem is the authorities who have the benefit are not satisfy themselves enough in that auction. Back to the corruption in Thailand again(how many times I've talk about this topic?), this problem is so similar with BTS(expanding line from onnut to baring) which's been finish for almost 2 years but still can not open. (Nowadays, they are home of homeless, some kind of birds, or a huge umbrellas for cars, bus and bike!!) because they still waiting for auction about electronic on this line. It might be means waiting for the authorities benefit themselves enough then they will let it open.
Besides, I'm the one who's waiting for 3G in Thailand but maybe another country using 9G when we using 3G.
This topic is far from my intersting, however, it is a good topic which has effected on my life. First, I did not interest in 3G because I did not know what 3G is and how it work. After I read "How long do Thais wating for 3G " and followed the news report about 3G, I realise that 3G is one of technologies where people can use high speed internet, can send the big files more than in the past.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, I focus on the education part. I think that the student in countryside can get benefit from 3G because they can have chances to reach knowledge as effective as the student in the big city. That is one benefit that people can get from 3G.
Truely, I did not understand clearly about adventage and disadventage that will happen after the auction. Anyway, in the consumer opinion, I would like to use the effective technology in the resonable price. 3G is the effective technology, but for the resonable price, the government should solve the problm base on the benefit of mass people more than some group.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteUmm … It seems like that everyone likes to the government curb with this problem. I think that every policy should support the economy and the ability in global competition of nation; however until now, the government has not tried to do that, and still referred to benefits of the nation which can disappear if allow G3 to exist. In fact, G3 might be the huger benefit than 2G concession. Lastly, I do not know who can get profit from this situation, surely not general citizens, and I think that this problem can show that most policy did not be issued for people but for someone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Poome.
ReplyDeleteThe government is not the solution, it's the problem. Many of Thailand's problems seem to me to be caused by Thai governments.
So what is the solution for a rotten government?
I heard the word 3G for long time ago. I myself denied to count how long we waiting for 3G technology in Thailand. At that time, I know 3G technology as I desire to buy a new mobile phone and I like the design of Japanese mobile phone. I asked for my Japanese friend to buy and bring it back. He explained me that it didn’t work in Thailand because of lower supporting technology system. I told myself “I know, we don’t have 3G.”
ReplyDeleteI could remember the exact moment when I really understand the meaning of 3G from Apple first launching iPhone2G. After that applications on smart phone and 3G technology services was more interested by my group. Then we discuss in that topic and realized. Ironically, we said “let’s wait, next 10 years, Thailand don’t have it”. CAT Telecom -the state firm- taked care on it. Every things controlled by Thai state-owned firm is totally slow and untrustworthy. They always focus on minor details and didn’t concern the main goal. For example, if you really want to go to Suwannaphum airport in cheaper and you’re in center. The best way, perhaps, is using BTS and airport-linked. To this situation, you have to walk down from BTS and walk up again. I have no idea why it can not connect fluently, why it doesn’t have easy way for tourist who have a lot of baggage. I can answer this question because of state-run.
The appropriate question about 3G services technology for CAT Telecom is “How longest time do we waiting for?” I don’t dare to imagine the exact answer.