3G in Phuket by mid-2009: DTAC
PHUKET: Mobile phone service provider DTAC has announced its plans to make third-generation “3G” technology available in Phuket by mid-2009 after being granted a license to provide nationwide 3G service by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
DTAC representative Amarit Thongchai told the Gazette that DTAC will now have a 12-month head start on providing full 3G coverage, which will be made available in three stages under a 5-billion-baht investment plan: first, Bangkok in early 2009; then Phuket and Chonburi in mid-2009; and the rest of the country by the end of 2009.
“DTAC appears to have an advantage over its rivals in the race to 3G because its existing analog 850 Megahertz frequency can be upgraded quickly to high-speed download packet access (HSDPA) technology with a wider coverage capacity,” said DTAC CEO Sigve Brekke.
“We would start realizing revenue from 3G in 2010. Mobile broadband will compete directly with fixed-line broadband services, given its much faster download speed and mobility,” Mr Brekke predicted.
