BANGKOK, Jan 13 – Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) secretary-general said today that signals from the Thaicom satellite have been disturbed, causing low streaming quality on televisions, possibly countrywide.
Thakorn Tantasit, secretary-general, said on Monday his organisation has sent out mobile units to check mobile phone and satellite frequencies during the Bangkok shutdown today by anti-government protesters of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC).
Following Thaicom’s report that its frequencies have been disturbed, resulting in low TV streaming quality, Mr Thakorn said NBTC will resend mobile units of its 14 offices nationwide to recheck the Thaicom satellites and search for the sources of disturbances.
He admitted that the monitoring will be difficult to conduct, for the frequency disturbances were done at different locations. Those found guilty for such acts will face imprisonment of as many as five years.
Regarding phone signals in local communities, the signals were normal at 95 per cent both for phone calls and internet use.
NBTC reported that mobile phone operators — AIS, DTAC, True, CAT Telecom and TOT — had expanded their phone signal channels, as previously asked by NBTC, to support the intensity of use at protest areas. (MCOT online news)
