AIS denies bid for National Telecom’s broadband subscriber base

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Operators; 20 May 2025; 3234 views

Thai operator Advanced Info Service (AIS) has denied reports that it is in the running to acquire the broadband subscriber base of state-owned National Telecom (NT).

According to the Bangkok Post, NT president Colonel Sanphachai Havanandana is seeking a strategic partnership to stem mounting losses in the company’s mobile and fixed-line operations, which reportedly amount to several billion baht annually. He attributed the financial strain to intense market competition and high operating costs.

AIS said in a bourse statement "there is currently no agreement or any progress at this stage."

Havanandana told the newspaper that NT and AIS had been in discussions over a potential collaboration for the past year. He also claimed that rival operator True Corporation is expected to submit its own proposal soon, though he acknowledged that a partnership with AIS has faced complications.

A major stumbling block is NT’s spectrum holdings. The operator acquired 700MHz spectrum in 2020, of which it later transferred half - 10MHz - to AIS in exchange for THB14.9 billion. NT also holds 26GHz spectrum, while licenses for two other bands expired in August last year.

Another challenge is the potential redundancy of NT’s broadband workforce if AIS were to take over its internet subscriber base. Of NT’s 11,000 employees, approximately 6,000 work in its broadband division, raising concerns about overlap and job cuts in the event of a merger or asset transfer.