Bangkok Post (31 Oct 2007)
Advanced Info Service has voiced concern over the interconnection charge (IC) dispute between state-run TOT Plc and both True Move and DTAC, as the two mobile operators have billed AIS for more than one billion baht in IC charges. AIS president Wichien Mektrakarn said that since AIS signed interconnection agreements with True Move and DTAC in February this year, the two operators have billed more than one billion baht in IC charges to the company. However, he said, AIS could not bill those companies for IC due to fears that it may face a lawsuit from TOT.
DTAC and True Move have been refusing to pay access charges to the state telecom enterprises. They argue that the IC system approved by the National Telecommunications Commission should take precedence. DTAC and True Move hold concessions from CAT Telecom, which is supposed to collect the access charges for use of the TOT network and pass them on to TOT. AIS holds a concession from TOT and does not want to challenge its access-charge agreement. Mr Wichien said he was upset that TOT and CAT were not taking serious legal action to demand compensation. ''It is so strange that almost a year has elapsed and the two state telecom enterprises are not hastening to find a settlement for the interest of the state enterprises,'' he said. What's worse, he added, was the fact that True Move was promoting cross-network calls at just one baht a minute, lower than the IC costs that operators had agreed on. Now it was even less certain that operators would actually pay bills in line with the IC agreements they'd signed, he said. He said AIS wanted to clear the IC billing with the two operators but ''we put a lot of weight on the possibility that these IC agreements may be scrapped or adjusted'' by the next government. Both True Move and DTAC are now booking access charges as IC charges on their balance sheets. The two companies also want AIS to collect IC charges from them, Mr Wichien said. This would pressure TOT because it stands to lose up to 20 billion baht a year if access charges are scrapped. TOT deputy president Kittipong Taemeytapradit said TOT had formally asked DTAC to pay access charges. But DTAC has ignored the request, claiming it was not a direct contracted partner with TOT. He said that TOT has officially notified CAT Telecom that it would stick to the agreement with CAT if DTAC and True Move refused to make access charge payments. Enforcing the agreement would prompt TOT to demand access charges directly from CAT.
DTAC and True Move have been refusing to pay access charges to the state telecom enterprises. They argue that the IC system approved by the National Telecommunications Commission should take precedence. DTAC and True Move hold concessions from CAT Telecom, which is supposed to collect the access charges for use of the TOT network and pass them on to TOT. AIS holds a concession from TOT and does not want to challenge its access-charge agreement. Mr Wichien said he was upset that TOT and CAT were not taking serious legal action to demand compensation. ''It is so strange that almost a year has elapsed and the two state telecom enterprises are not hastening to find a settlement for the interest of the state enterprises,'' he said. What's worse, he added, was the fact that True Move was promoting cross-network calls at just one baht a minute, lower than the IC costs that operators had agreed on. Now it was even less certain that operators would actually pay bills in line with the IC agreements they'd signed, he said. He said AIS wanted to clear the IC billing with the two operators but ''we put a lot of weight on the possibility that these IC agreements may be scrapped or adjusted'' by the next government. Both True Move and DTAC are now booking access charges as IC charges on their balance sheets. The two companies also want AIS to collect IC charges from them, Mr Wichien said. This would pressure TOT because it stands to lose up to 20 billion baht a year if access charges are scrapped. TOT deputy president Kittipong Taemeytapradit said TOT had formally asked DTAC to pay access charges. But DTAC has ignored the request, claiming it was not a direct contracted partner with TOT. He said that TOT has officially notified CAT Telecom that it would stick to the agreement with CAT if DTAC and True Move refused to make access charge payments. Enforcing the agreement would prompt TOT to demand access charges directly from CAT.
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