Three months after Pattaya businesses balked at proposed fees to move telephone, cable-television and internet wires underground, CAT Telecom has come back to the table with a 75-percent price cut to keep the citywide project on schedule.
City Councilman Adm. Srivisut Rodarun chaired a Jan. 22 meeting of the Public Works and Utilities Committee attended by representatives of the Provincial Electricity Authority, CAT Telecom, various phone and internet providers, and the Telecommunications Association of Thailand.
CAT has been tasked by the PEA with handling the relocation of communication cables underground nationwide as well as setting rental rates for the water-protected pipes in which they go. But in October, the utility announced a charge of 120 baht a month for homes connected to underground wires and 6,000 baht a month for businesses, which has businesses up in arms.
Business owners – particularly cable-TV operators – called the fees excessive and refused to put their wires underground. The issue threatened to derail the PEA’s entire plan.
It took three months, but CAT came back to the table with a monthly fee of 1,500 baht, instead of the 6,000 baht. The 120 baht fee remained unchanged.
The meeting acknowledged the price reductions and said it will forward the proposal to the full city council for consideration. (PCPR)
