(Bangkok Post via NewsEdge) Thailand's top mobile carriers AIS and DTAC have reached an agreement on interconnection charges for call traffic between the two operators.
The two companies have agreed to a termination rate of 1 baht ($0.027) per minute, representing the rate paid by the outgoing call's carrier to the service provider at the receiving end.
The agreement, if finalized later this month, could be accepted and implemented by the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) on December 1.
The NTC has been pushing local operators to close interconnection agreements among themselves to help establish compensation rates paid by each operator for cross-network traffic.
AIS president Wichien Mektrakarn confirmed that AIS and DTAC had agreed on a termination rate, and were close to finalizing other components of the interconnection charges.
Wichien said AIS and third-ranked mobile operator True Move were still negotiating a termination rate. AIS would likely push for a similar charge as that with DTAC, although rates among different carriers are not required to be the same.
The NTC wants operators to finalize their own agreements so the rates can take effect.
But TOT has resisted the use of interconnection rates, arguing that revenue sharing is already fixed under existing concession agreements and that the rates should apply only to new licensees.
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