Singtel associate AIS not obliged to transfer telecom equipment or make payment to CAT telecom

Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel)’s Thai associate, Advanced Info Service Public Company (AIS) has received the Arbitration Committee resolution which dismissed state-operator CAT Telecom Public Company’s dispute.

The resolution was received by AIS’s subsidiary Digital Phone Co (DPC) that stated that DPC is not obliged to transfer telecom equipment or make payment for any claim by CAT.

However, CAT is eligible to file a petition to the Central Administrative Court to revoke the resolution within 90 days.

On Jan 31, 2018, CAT made a submission to Thailand’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Office, the Arbitration Institute, Court of Justice, to demand that DPC transfer the ownership of telecom equipment comprising 4,657 telecommunication towers, 3,012 containers, power supply, mobile number portability system and the call centre system, which DPC used with AIS.

The total claim made is 13.43 billion baht ($592.0 million) and an additional claim for an opportunity loss of 116 million baht plus default interest rate at 7.5% per annum.

On Aug 20, 2020, AIS announced that it had resolved the tower dispute settlement with CAT for the long-term use of CAT’s 155 telecommunication towers.

Shares in Singtel closed 3 cents higher or 1.2% up at $2.51 on Jan 14.