Thu, May 23, 2013 08:15:59 AM
Bangkok Post
Thu, May 23, 2013 08:15:59 AM
Bangkok Post
The private sector has slammed the government for not acknowledging the impact of the new draft treaty on internet and telecommunications regulations, saying it will jeopardise businesses and individual users.
Yongyos Protpakorn, vice-chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce's service sector, said it strongly disagreed with the new draft treaty as it will drastically affect internet users across the board.
Mr Yongyos said he is disappointed the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Ministry and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission have no position on the draft by the International Telecom Union (ITU).
The government needs to study it thoroughly before agreeing to it, he said.
The new draft on International Telecommunication Regulations (ITR) has been proposed and drafted by the ITU, the UN's telecommunications arm.
The ITR treaty is expected to be signed at the World Conference on International Telecommunications 2012 (WCIT), which will be held in Dubai from Dec 3-14. The draft will be scrapped if it fails to gain support of three-quarters of the ITU's 193 members.
"We'll submit the TCC's opinion to the government before any decision is made," said Mr Yongyos.
Ajin Jirachiefpattana, director of the ICT ministry's international affairs bureau, said: "We will call for public opinion before attending the WCIT meeting and also require cabinet approval before ratifying the treaty."
The ICT has set up a joint committee with the NBTC to prepare the country for the WCIT meeting.
Duangthip Chomprang, regional affairs manager for the Internet Society, the global non-profit organisation promoting internet use, claims those hardest hit by the new draft will be individual users, as they would have to pay to access the internet every time they click.
Currently, internet connection costs are charged on a fixed monthly basis with no limit on data volume.
The new draft proposes a sender-pay model, which would require the content or information service provider to pay a fee to network operators or telecom carriers based on data volume.
Another major concern is the treaty requires both corporate and individual internet users to disclose their identity and the history of the websites they have visited.
