TOT APPOINTS PANEL TO PROBE AIS CASE
The TOT board has appointed a fact-finding panel to probe accusations that Advanced Info Service (AIS) has yet to allow the state agency’s staff to access and control cellular-base stations under the concession, and to jointly operate the 900MHz network a
The move comes amid plans by AIS and TOT to sign a deal forming a partnership to offer 3G service on TOT’s 2.1GHz. AIS is obliged to transfer the network asset to TOT under the Build-Operate-Transfer contract.
According to the board order, TOT’s failure to access the base stations denies it the opportunity to examine how many customers were left on the AIS 2G network after the concession ended and how many customers AIS migrated to the network of its subsidiary Advanced Wireless Network via allegedly unlawful methods. The latter probe is aimed at enabling TOT to calculate the damages it will claim from AIS.
The Office of the Auditor-General sent a letter to TOT on May 18 asking it to investigate why TOT staff did not ask AIS to hand over the keys to them to access the base stations and jointly operate the network under the concession. This suggests that TOT failed to protect its own interests.
