Samart set to offer WiMax
SRISAMORN PHOOSUPHANUSORN

Samart Corp Plc yesterday reported a first-quarter profit of 144 million baht, a 300% increase from the fourth quarter last year but up only marginally from the same period a year ago. The communications equipment group said revenues declined to 4.22 billion baht from 6.29 billion in the same quarter last year due to a shift to its house-brand I-Mobile handsets.

The decline also reflected unrealised revenue from Thai Mobile, the moribund state-backed cellular firm to which Samart provides billing services.

Meanwhile, Samart yesterday it would jump on the red-hot WiMax bandwagon to strengthen its competitiveness by providing a mobile application platform through high-speed broadband internet access.

The company is conducting WiMax trials together with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).

President Watchai Vilailuck said that Samart, through subsidiary Samart Telcoms (SAMTEL), was ready to seek a WiMax licence from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) once the regulator clarifies the terms.

WiMax is a sister technology to the widely deployed WiFi, a digital communications system intended for wireless metropolitan area networks. It can provide broadband wireless access within a radius of up to 50 kilometres for fixed stations. For mobile stations, service is available within a 5-15 km radius.

Mr Watchai said Samart was interested in providing WiMax because it was based on a brand-new technology in which no player had an advantage over others in terms of customer bases, technology and infrastructure.

The investment in WiMax would be at least 100 million baht.

Mr Watchai said WiMax would provide integrated broadband internet access, and mobile television.

Samart is also preparing to produce 3G phones under its own i-Mobile brand.

Samart shares (SAMART) closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand up five satang to 7.80 baht in trade worth 127.38 million baht.