Thai 4G Auctions – Network Implementation

 

Winning bidders in the upcoming 4G Auctions will be building new 4G networks in the spectrum acquired.  Both TRUE and DTAC already offer 4G service, so they may already understand the challenges of building a modern 4G network. AIS, and potentially Jasmine Mobile, have not yet launched 4G service and will be working hard to catch up.  This follows our previous article in our series about the Thai 4G Auctions. Continue reading “Thai 4G Auctions – Network Implementation”

Thai 4G Auctions Bid Strategies – Jasmine

Later this year Thailand plans to auction radio spectrum for 4G services. The Thai government, led by the National Broadcasting and Telecoms Commission (NBTC), will auction licenses in 900 MHz and 1800 MHz later this year. The Auctions 1800 MHz spectrum are scheduled for November 11th; the 900 MHz auction a month later, though the exact date remains in doubt. 2 licenses will be auctioned for 12.5 MHz each in 1800MHz spectrum, and 2 licenses of 10 MHz each in 900 MHz spectrum. Continue reading “Thai 4G Auctions Bid Strategies – Jasmine”

LTE-U is Unfriendly to Consumers and to WiFi. Let’s Fix it.

Today the wireless industry is gripped by debate over the deployment of LTE services in unlicensed spectrum. Qualcomm is the leading proponent and has recruited support from Telecom Equipment Manufacturers and Mobile Operators. Qualcomm has proposed three separate standards: LTE-U and License Assisted Access (LAA) are targeted geographically. A third proposal called MuLTEfire uses unlicensed spectrum for Enterprises, and does not require an LTE channel in licensed spectrum. Details of those proposals can be found elsewhere. Continue reading “LTE-U is Unfriendly to Consumers and to WiFi. Let’s Fix it.”

Least Cost Routing Delivers for Cellular Operator

Bangkok Beach Telecom recently has been working with a North American Tier 3 Mobile operator to lower their cost to deliver long distance calls. The operator felt they had already done much to optimize these costs using their own in-house tools. We proposed using our Least Cost Routing  model (LCR) to see if these costs could be further lowered. We charge nothing to determine the potential savings LCR may yield, and going forward is up to the operator.  This operator was quite surprised to learn that a further 50% reduction in their average cost per MOU was achievable. Continue reading “Least Cost Routing Delivers for Cellular Operator”

Hurricane Sandy’s Legacy

Now that Hurricane Sandy is moving beyond the local destruction it left it  is time to rethink our investment priorities.  A commitment to improve and harden the nation’s infrastructure could be contemplated.

Of course, there are many factors to consider.  But in the context laid out by the following bullet points, perhaps a path forward is implied.

  • The cost of restoring existing services, electrical, transportation & communications.  This cost is near 100% a one-time cost, meaning it contributes nothing to the long-term stability and reliability of the plant.
  • The fact that restoration returns the infrastructure to the same level of vulnerability presently extant.
  • That the human resources called to perform herculean effort are always drawn from jurisdictions less-affected by the current crises, and therefore the support of those jurisdictions is reduced.

Considering all the above, it is immediately clear that current infrastructure management practice fails to properly include all costs into the equation.

At such a moment, a leader might propose a Kennedy-esque “mission-to-the-moon” venture to harden the nations infrastructure.

Such an effort would provide many benefits:

  • reduced future downtime of power, transport and other shared systems, and the associated foregone costs.
  • money spent thus hardening the infrastructure would increase local employment. In other words, a huge jobs program.

So my proposal would be a Kennedy-style trip to the moon.  Invest in infrastructure that was impervious to weather.