Dtac launches social media campaign in support of AIS

Dtac has launched a social media campaign under the hashtag #fairfight pledging support for AIS and its subscribers.

The campaign features Dtac CEO Lars Norling saying that he cares for all mobile users and that AIS 2G subscribers are welcome to roam on Dtac and do not have to worry about their SIM cards being cut off. AIS subscribers do not need to port their numbers to any new network to continue using their phones.

This is a thinly veiled reference to TrueMove’s ongoing campaign to win customers from both their networks.

However, at the last moment literally minutes before the planned network switch-off, AIS was granted an injunction by administrative court nullifying the NBTC order that AIS would have to switch off its 2G network on midnight of 15 March.

AIS CEO Somchai Lertsutiwong asked the court that it be allowed to continue to use 5 MHz of Jas’ 900-MHz spectrum (that it is already using). Somchai argued that continuing to use Jasmine’s as yet unclaimed spectrum would have no effect on TrueMove’s 900-MHz licence that was granted on Monday 14 March.

The court order allowed AIS to continue using the 900-MHz spectrum for another 30 days until 14 April. The deadline for Jasmine to pay for its 900-MHz spectrum is 21 March.

AIS has an estimated 400,000 users still dependent on its 2G network, most with 3G capable SIMs but old 3G handsets.

Meanwhile AIS has been ordered by the supreme court to pay state-owned CAT Telecom $200,000 (7 million baht) plus interest for negligence. The court ruled in CAT’s favour that AIS was responsible for negligence in allowing 165 subscribers to take out 185 numbers with incomplete or falsified identity documents or signatures and make overseas calls on CAT’s network that could not be traced and billed.