Today dtac announced the beginning of its journey to bring “mobile internet on 3G” to customers with the very best customer experience, with the commencement of its 3G trial.

 “Once we are licensed to offer 3G services commercially, we aim to take the leadership position by being the operator that gives the best experience to our customers. So the main purpose of this trial is not to test the technology, which has long been well proven in many countries around the world, but to ensure that the value chain is prepared for commercial operations later on - especially for the upcoming new 3G licenses scheduled later this year,” said dtac CEO Tore Johnsen.

“We also plan to carry out a comprehensive customer survey from the beginning to the end of the project to learn and get feedback on customer satisfaction. This will not only give us better insight into actual customer  behavior and demands, but also will assist dtac in designing better products and services ready for the commercial launch in the future,” added Tore.

In the initial part of the trial, the trial area will cover Chulalongkorn University, Pantip Plaza and MBK shopping centers, Siam Square, Sam Yan, and Chamchuri Square. Later the coverage area will be expanded to other areas in Bangkok. Called ‘dtac mobile internet on 3G’, the trial service allows 2,000 selected users to use dtac aircards to access mobile broadband from notebook computers. dtac will give free aircards and airtime to the selected users to try the service free of charge throughout the trial period. At the beginning, the trial will focus on connecting to mobile internet through computers only and excludes voice and other services. To try the service, customers can simply plug their dtac aircards into their notebooks and connect to the internet right away because the aircards will install relevant software automatically.

“We are the first operator who focuses on a dedicated test on 3G’s capacity to offer a wireless internet connection over notebook computers because we believe that the real value coming with 3G is its ability to offer consumers a wider and better high-speed internet access, which is now being limited to only fixed line solutions or Wi-Fi hot spots. Once commercially available with a larger coverage, this mobile internet on 3G will not only increase access to the internet, but speed and mobility will also provide additional value to the country’s social and economy development”, explained Roar Wiik Andreassen, dtac’s Chief Strategy Officer.

To ensure good customer experience throughout the trial, several channels of customer support have been made available to answer inquiries and give technical advice. A dedicated call center team, trained to have in-depth knowledge about 3G-related technology and equipment, is now ready to serve the customers around the clock at 1678 ext. 34. Additionally, customers can pose their questions by emailing them to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or they can try the new service at dtac booths at Chamchuri Square and Pantip Plaza shopping center which are manned by sales and technical professionals.

dtac has also developed a new portal named “startpage” (www.startpage.in.th) to offer a variety of content such as songs, movies, video clips, news update and live TV programs for download upon every connection.

“Although 3G may not be something new for many people around the world, it is what many Thai customers, especially Internet users, have been looking forward to for many years now. We hope the licensing process will soon be finalized so that Thai customers can experience real 3G service like their peers in other countries,” said Tore.

dtac, in cooperation with CAT, conducts the trial based on HSPA technology over dtac’s existing 850MHz frequency with an approximate budget of 100 million baht. The trial will start from beginning of September and is currently scheduled until the end of December.