Infrastructure investment to cost approximately $1.5 billion
Thai mobile operator True Move is looking to invest 56 billion baht ($1.56 billion) to launch the country’s first LTE-Advanced network this year, the Bangkok Post reported.
True Move expects to use spectrum in both the 900 MHz and 1800 MH bands to launch the LTE-A network infrastructure, which it said will cover 97% of the Thai population, according to the report.
The telco plans to install 13,500 LTE-A base stations using the 900 MHz band to provide high-speed wireless broadband service in provinces and rural areas. Another 3,000 to 4,000 base stations set to use the 1800 MHz band are currently being deployed in capital Bangkok and other urban areas across Thailand.
Ericsson and Huawei are supplying the LTE-A network equipment as well as the software solutions.
True Move currently controls 15 megahertz of spectrum in the 2.1 GHz band, 15 megahertz in the 1800 MHz band, 10 megahertz in the 900 MHz band and 15 megahertz of spectrum in the 850 MHz band. The telco currently serves approximately 18 million mobile subscribers in Thailand, with nearly 11% on the carrier’s LTE network.
True Move said it aims to end this year with approximately 4 million LTE subscribers.
Smartfren’s LTE service available in 85 cities across Indonesia
In other APAC news, Indonesian telco Smartfren said its TDD/FDD LTE network currently covers 85 cities across the Asian country.
Smartfren currently counts 1 million LTE subscribers, while the carrier’s overall mobile base sits at 13 million customers. The mobile operator offers FDD LTE service using the 850 MHz band and TD-LTE over the 2.3 GHz band.
Finnish vendor Nokia is currently deploying infrastructure for Smartfren in Greater Jakarta, West Java and Sumatra for the rollout, while Chinese ICT solutions provider ZTE is providing equipment for Central Java, East Java, Bali, Lombok, Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
Smartfren is looking to serve 5 million LTE subscribers by the end of 2016.
