End telecom monopoly before 3G auction

Thailand's leading think tank suggests shared telecommunications infrastructure & cellular towers to attract foreign investors.

Read another article today on the latest legal action in Thailand's mobile phone industry here.

Photo above of a cellular tower, an important part of mobile phone networks and telecommunications infrastructure (Source: Wikipedia). 

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Telecommunications

TDRI: End telecom monopoly before 3G auction

9/05/2012 
Komsan Tortermvasana

Thailand's mobile market should be fully liberalised to end a profit-maximising monopoly dominated by the three operators, says the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

Research director Deunden Nikomborirak said three big players - Advanced Info Service, Total Access Communication and True Move - have controlled the 200-billion-baht market for too long.

The third-generation licence auction for the 2100-megahertz frequency coming up in October is no guarantee that newcomers will join the bidding, she said.

"The existing telecom regulations of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have failed to encourage foreign investors to jump into the market," said Dr Deunden.

We [the TDRI] want to see full liberalisation of the Thai cellular market.

She suggests the NBTC accelerate plans for sharing telecommunications infrastructure and cellular towers, a move she feels would attract foreign participation in the auction.

"The more money the government obtains from the bidding, the more it will benefit consumers,"said Dr Deunden.

She disagrees with the NBTC's move to amend foreign-ownership rules in the local, capital-intensive telecommunications industry, saying the new rules would discourage strategic international alliances.

Toughening existing curbs under the Foreign Business Act (FBA) could reduce market competition, said Dr Deunden.

The FBA caps foreign holdings in Thai telecom firms at 49%.

"I see no reason to restrict foreign ownership in Thailand's telecom industry. The industry should be liberalised to free up the market," she said.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Telecommunications, TDRI: End telecom monopoly before 3G auction, 9/05/2012, Komsan Tortermvasana, link) 

Telecoms Vocabulary

telecommunications - long distance communication by radio waves using mobile phones, TV, radio, broadband internet, etc (See Wikipedia) การโทรคมนาคม หมายถึง การสื่อสารทางไกลโดยใช้โทรศัพท์ เคเบิล โทรทัศน์ วิทยุและโทรเลข
telecoms - Same as "telecommunications"
monopoly - companies that have complete control over a market
telecoms monopoly

auction - selling things by competitive bids, selling to the person who offers that best price (See Wikipedia) การขายโดยการประมูล, การขายทอดตลาด
3G auction

TDRI: End telecom monopoly before 3G auction

accelerate - go faster and faster; to cause to happen more quickly; go faster and faster , at an increasing rate เร่ง
infrastructure - the high-cost facilities that everyone in the economy shares (water, roads, electricity, trains) สาธารณูปโภค
telecommunications infrastructure

cellular towers - the tall towers used to send mobile phone signals over long distances (See Wikipedia)
accelerate plans for sharing telecommunications infrastructure and cellular towers

attract - to cause someone to be interested in something ดึงดูดความสนใจ
participation - being involved in an activity (rather than merely watching it happen)
attract foreign participation in the auction.

liberalise - reducing rules and regulations in an activity or industry; making less strict, so it is easier to do business and for new companies to enter the industry
liberalise market - reduce rules and regulations in a market 
liberalise mobile market

profit - money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
maximise - making something as big as you can make it (as big as possible) 
profit-maximising - the goal of making as much money as possible from your business

dominated - controlled ถูกควบคุม ถูกชักใย บงการ
dominated by  - controlled by

operators - businesses doing this business
profit-maximising monopoly dominated by the three operators

Thailand's mobile market should be fully liberalised to end a profit-maximising monopoly dominated by the three operators, says the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).

players - an important company, person, or country in an industry ผู้ค้าคนสำคัญ หรือผู้ค้ารายใหญ่
three big players control the market

Research director Deunden Nikomborirak said three big players - Advanced Info Service, Total Access Communication and True Move - have controlled the 200-billion-baht market for too long.

generation - 1. a group of things using the same technology created at about the same time; 2. a group of people in society who are born and live around the same time รุ่น (คนรุ่นต่างๆ)
licence - an official document that gives someone permission to do or use something ใบอนุญาต
frequency - the number of times something happens within a particular period ความบ่อย
third-generation licence auction for the 2100-megahertz frequency

guarantee - a promise that something will be done or will happen คำรับรอง, การประกัน (See glossary)
is no guarantee that - does not make a sure thing

newcomers - new in doing this sort of activity ผู้ที่มาใหม่ สมาชิกใหม่
bidding - making an offer in an auction (here trying to offer to do project for lowest cost and thus win contract)
regulations - official rules that control the way that things are done ระเบียบปฏิบัติ ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ
encourage - make people interested in and excited about doing an activity ปลุกใจ

liberalisation -reducing rules and regulations in an industry, making the rules governing an activity less strict (See glossary) เสรีภาพในการแสดงความคิดเห็นหรือแสดงออก
full liberalisation of the Thai cellular market

The third-generation licence auction for the 2100-megahertz frequency coming up in October is no guarantee that newcomers will join the bidding, she said. "The existing telecom regulations of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) have failed to encourage foreign investors to jump into the market," said Dr Deunden. We [the TDRI] want to see full liberalisation of the Thai cellular market.  She suggests the NBTC accelerate plans for sharing telecommunications infrastructure and cellular towers, a move she feels would attract foreign participation in the auction.

bidding - making an offer to buy something in a competitive auction (with many others "making bids")
benefit - to help someone มีประโยชน์ต่อ
consumers - people who buy things (individuals and families)
benefit consumers

"The more money the government obtains from the bidding, the more it will benefit consumers,"said Dr Deunden.

capital - money invested in a business (See glossary)
intensive - involving a lot of ...
capital-intensive - using a lot of capital (in an industry or the production of some good or service)
capital-intensive telecommunications industry

amend - to make changes to a document, law, agreement, etc. especially in order to improve it การแก้ไขกฎหมาย
amend foreign-ownership rules
amend foreign-ownership rules in the local, capital-intensive telecommunications industry

strategic - done with a special plan to achieve long term goals
international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
alliances - when  two groups or organizations join  and work together on a project
strategic international alliances

discourage - to make someone feel like something should not be done ทำให้ไม่อยาก (ทำสิ่งใดสิ่งหนึ่ง) cause someone to lose enthusiasm and not do what they are doing
the new rules would discourage strategic international alliances.

She disagrees with the NBTC's move to amend foreign-ownership rules in the local, capital-intensive telecommunications industry, saying the new rules would discourage strategic international alliances.

Foreign Business Act (FBA) - the law controlling foreign ownership of businesses in Thailand
curbs - restrictions, rules that limit action
curbs under the Foreign Business Act (FBA)
caps - create an upper limit on how much you can have or own
holdings - things that you own
caps holdings - limit the amount you can own
foreign holdings - foreign companies or people owning part of a company
caps foreign holdings - limit foreign ownership in a company
toughening - making rules more strict and limiting 
toughening existing curbs under the Foreign Business Act (FBA)
reason - an explanation of an event, why an event happened เหตุ ; เหตุผล ; สาเหตุ
restrict - put limits on, control
restrict foreign ownership in Thailand's telecom industry
liberalised - remove limits, remove controls

Toughening existing curbs under the Foreign Business Act (FBA) could reduce market competition, said Dr Deunden. The FBA caps foreign holdings in Thai telecom firms at 49%. "I see no reason to restrict foreign ownership in Thailand's telecom industry. The industry should be liberalised to free up the market," she said.