TRE2008 Thailand Country Report

Telecom Regulatory and Policy Environment inThailand

Results and Analysis of the 2008 TRE Survey

Deunden Nikomborirak, PhDSaowaluk Cheevasittiyanon

deunden@tdri.or.th scheev@tdri.or.th

Thailand Development Research Institute

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Table of Contents

1. Executive Summary ................................................................................... 4

The Thai Government:

............................................................................... 5

The NTC

..................................................................................................... 52. Introduction: The Development of the Thai Telecom Market ................... 63. Methodology ............................................................................................ 104. Finding/Results ........................................................................................ 114.1 Overall results .................................................................................... 114.2 Market Entry ...................................................................................... 154.3 Access to scarce resources ................................................................. 174.4 Interconnection .................................................................................. 194.5 Tariff .................................................................................................. 204.6 Anti-competitive practices ................................................................. 214.7 Universal Service obligation .............................................................. 224.8 Quality of Services Regulation .......................................................... 245. Conclusion ............................................................................................... 246. Recommendations .................................................................................... 257. Annex 1: Significant regulatory and policy events for Thailand (February2007 – April 2008) ................................................................................................... 278. Annex 2: TRE Questionnaire ................................................................... 28

List of Figures

Figure 1: Telecom Market Development during 1990-2007 ............................. 7Figure 2: HHI – Fixed Line ............................................................................... 8Figure 3: HHI - Mobile ...................................................................................... 9Figure 4: HHI – Internet Broadband .................................................................. 9Figure 5: Average TRE scores by sector ......................................................... 11Figure 6: TRE Scores by Regulatory Dimension ............................................ 12Figure 7: TRE Scores by Sector and by Regulatory Dimension ..................... 13Figure 8: Number of Internet subscribers ....................................................... 16

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List of Tables

Table 1: Number of Respondents .................................................................... 11Table 2: Number of Licenses Handed out by NTC during 2005-2008 (August)...................................................................................................................................... 12Table 3: Comments made by Respondents ...................................................... 13

List of Acronyms

ADSL Asymmetric Digital Subscriber LineAIS Advanced Info Service PLC.BTO Build-Transfer-OperateCAT Communication Authority of ThailandEGAT Electricity Generating Authority of ThailandHHI Herfindahl-Hirschman IndexIC InterconnectionIDD International Direct DialingIIG International Internet GatewayISP Internet Service ProviderMEA Metropolitan Electricity AuthorityNBC National Broadcasting CommissionNTBC National telecommunications and Broadcasting CommissionNTC National Telecommunications CommissionPEA Provincial Electricity AuthorityQoS Quality of ServiceSOE State-owned EnterpriseTA Telecom Asia CorporationTAC Total Access Communication PLC.TBA Telecommunications Business ActTOT Telephone Organization of ThailandTRE Telecom Regulatory EnvironmentUSO Universal Service ObligationVoIP Voice over Internet ProtocolWiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access