NTC takes up dispute

NTC takes up dispute
The Nation (26 October 2007)

The National Telecommu-nication Commission's board has decided to look into the access-charge dispute between TOT and CAT Telecom and has asked the two sides to find a solution within 30 days.NTC secretary-general Suranan Wongvithayakam-jorn said after a meeting yesterday that the board had decided the agency would look into the problem. Earlier, the NTC had said that it would not get involved in the dispute, as it was only responsible for the interconnection charge. However, Suranan said the regulator had decided to look into the matter after it received complaints from CAT, which said it was suffering as a result of the ongoing dispute. Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Move have not paid the access charge since last November and TOT asked CAT to pay on their behalf. The NTC asked TOT and CAT to find a solution within 30 days, or it would take measures to decide the issue. Meanwhile, the NTC required CAT and TOT to pay the fee for a Type-3 telecom licence. Last year, TOT paid a total of Bt1.055 billion and is now required to pay an additional Bt594 million, according to the commission. CAT paid Bt519 million last year and has to pay an additional Bt126 million. The licence fees are calculated from 3 per cent of the revenues. However, the amount required by the NTC is a reduced sum - only 2.2 per cent of their revenues - according to Suranan. The State Enterprise Policy Office earlier urged TOT and CAT Telecom to seek a solution jointly to their dispute regarding the access charge collected from private cellular operators. In a recent letter to TOT, the office said the dispute had significantly affected the operations, image and interests of both TOT and CAT. The possible impact on related parties and the industry as a whole must be considered when seeking a solution, it said. DTAC filed a complaint with the Finance Ministry, saying it was inappropriate for TOT to ask CAT to demand access-charge compensation from DTAC for TOT.