NBTC unveils bold plan to untangle Bangkok’s cables
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) has finally devised a plan to deal with the tangled mess of communication cables that hang over Bangkok and nearby provinces.
The initiative, aimed at enhancing safety and the city’s aesthetics, includes organising cables in 151 routes covering 440.21 kilometres and putting cables underground in 32 routes spanning over 67km. NBTC expects the project to be completed within this year.
Even though the overhanging mess of cables has become Bangkok’s identity, it has long been a source of inconvenience and hazard to residents. Accidents and fires are not uncommon, with the latest tragedy being a man falling to his death down an electrical cable manhole in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area.
The responsibility of managing this mess of cables falls upon several key agencies, including NBTC, which oversees the broadcasting and telecommunications sector, the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA).
While the traditional method of laying cables across poles is inexpensive, the transition to underground installations presents challenges, especially for private sector entities. To address these hurdles, NBTC and MEA are working together to streamline the process, contingent on the removal of existing electrical poles. Unused cables will be identified and removed, while new stringent regulations will be put in place requiring prior approval for new installations.
Additionally, National Telecom Public Company Ltd (NT) will spearhead a “Single Last Mile” project, in which all communication cables will be consolidated under one network.
Seven key telecom service providers will participate in the initiative, with each being assigned specific routes for installation, namely:
• National Telecom: 7 routes, 17.4km
• Advanced Wireless Network: 10 routes, 16.9km
• Triple T Broadband (3BB): 4 routes, 12.3km
• True Corp: 6 routes, 10.1km
• Interlink Telecom: 2 routes, 5.3km
• United Information Highway: 2 routes, 1.3km
• Symphony Communication: 1 route, 3.72km
Though NT has been trying to talk other telecom providers into using its nearly 5,000km-long underground conduit to lay their cables, its plan has hit a snag because its conduit is 10 times more expensive than laying cables above ground. The government is also not providing any subsidies for this project.
The lack of funding and high prices are possibly the main reasons why previous cable organising projects were dropped. This cable infrastructure overhaul is a step in the right direction, as Thailand aspires to make Bangkok a premier ASEAN metropolis.
