A joint application has been made by 34 cable TV operators to provide broadband Internet services in Thailand in a bid to generate a new revenue stream.
Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will consider the application for three-year operators’ licences within the next 30 days, according to The Nation.
The companies, which come from multiple provinces including Phetchabun, Chon Buri and Ubon Ratchathani, are reportedly hoping to sell new Internet services to 30% of their existing customers and break even on investment in two years.
“Each is expected to launch the broadband Internet service within five months after obtaining the licence. They are expected to offer a monthly service fee of THB590 [US$16.74], the same as the major players,” Varin Cholhan, vice president of the Cable Thai Association and MD of Digital Cable of Phetchabun, told The Nation.
To provide the broadband-based services, the cable TV companies will initially lease fibre optic capacity from Thailand’s major telcos, including CAT Telecom and United Information Highway, Cholhan added.