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Thai operators to work together on LTE trial
12 January 2012
AIS, TOT and CAT Telecom work to carry out joint non-commercial trials of 4G broadband services
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Thailand
LTE
4G
AIS
TOT
CAT Telecom
Thai GSM operator Advanced Info Service will start testing its 4G broadband service with state-owned operator TOT in late January or early February, according to the Bangkok Post.
AIS’s CEO Wichian Mektrakarn said his company will conduct a non-commercial trial with TOT to offer LTE on the 2.3 gigahertz spectrum. The two companies will establish 84 sites in Bangkok and other provinces for the trials, the newspaper reported.
AIS will also roll out another non-commercial trial with CAT Telecom to offer LTE service in the 1800 megahertz band.
The tests have been approved by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, which has also received a similar application by True Corporation for 4G trials.
Meanwhile AIS has decided to wait for the 3G licence auction that will take place in the third quarter of 2012 before finalising its policies for 3G roll-out. According to the Bangkok Post, Wichian said: “We need to know which frequencies and bandwidth we will obtain from the NBTC before determining our 3G plan in terms of investment amount and network coverage expansion.” GTB
Further reading from Global Telecoms Business:
DTAC to invest $1.26bn in 3G upgrade 10 Jan 2012
True to use rights offering proceeds for 3G 15 Jun 2011
CAT Telecom postpones 3G plan 13 Jun 2011
DTAC proposes returning unused frequency 13 Jun 2011
Thailand's True plans $438m expansion 09 Mar 2011