AIS Keeps Ahead in Thailand with 3G Network

Advanced Information Services (AIS) is the standard-bearer of mobile communications in Thailand. The company recently selected ZTE’s core network platform to provide customized services and better UE. This will strengthen the competitiveness of AIS on the 3G network.

Thailand has a population of 66 million and is a popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia. After the financial crisis, Thailand’s communications industry is now developing rapidly and the country’s economy is growing. In Thailand, both state-owned and private enterprises offer fixed-line communications, mobile Internet, and broadband. Mobile subscriber penetration in Thailand is 140%.

AIS is a subsidiary of SingTel and has 30 million mobile subscribers. This number is increasing at a rate of 7% per annum. AIS has greater than 50% market share in Thailand and offers prepaid and postpaid MMS, SMS, GPRS and EDGE services.

New Technology for New Challenges

To take the lead in the communications market, many operators in Thailand have been developing their 3G networks. AIS is the bellwether in Thailand’s mobile industry and has made a 3G development plan in line with its own advantages. AIS’s 3G network has more than 10 million users; however, current devices are satisfying the needs of an ever-increasing number of users. AIS has been searching for a more advanced network platform to improve its operation mode and reduce cost.

After a thorough investigative process, AIS selected ZTE as its long-term partner, and ZTE’s core network platform will now be used to improve AIS’s network capacity and performance. The platform is small, cheap to maintain, and consumes less power, and these benefits allow AIS to invest more into network operation. The direct-tunnel and IP interfaces (e.g. Iu over IP) of ZTE core network platform optimizes network architecture, reduces the number of transmitting nodes, and facilitates data transmission. These benefit the future development of API’s 3G network.

Customized Services Based on 3G Network

Because of fierce market competition, operators in Thailand are making every effort to draw in more customers with iPhone, Blackberry, and Android smartphones. They are rebuilding their networks and offering better data services. AIS is aware of the rapid development of data services and is consolidating its leading position in the market by offering a variety of customized services and improving its OAM capabilities. AIS’s existing network lacks customized services and cannot respond quickly to customer needs. So ZTE has stepped in to help AIS customize its services.

ZTE has provided AIS with a customized function called APN modification. WAP parameters can be set automatically according to subscriber IMSI segment and subscription information and data services can be used freely.

3G services require high bandwidth, and there is increasing demand for broadband service. ZTE has also provided AIS with a QoS improvement and modification function. QoS can be modified according to user information, which allows for better UE.

Considering some old GGSNs need upgrading or swapping during OCS deployment, which increases OAM costs and difficulties, AIS customizes SGSN to choose GGSN flexibly to solve this problem. For pre-paid subscribers, SGSN automatically selects GGSN supporting OCS and selects other GGSNs for post-paid subscribers.

The flexible, customized functions provided by ZTE improve UE and enhance network competitiveness. They also provide AIS with facilities for network maintenance.

AIS launched new PS products in June, 2010. These products underwent strict testing and were found to perform stably in commercial applications. The customized functions enable AIS to attract more users and keep ahead in the Thai market. From the end of 2009 to the end of 2010, AIS increased its user base by more than 7%, and its income from data services keeps growing. This lays a solid foundation for AIS to face new challenges in the mobile broadband market.