TOT has set up a committee to consider what will be the best option in this case but the state agency is likely to step in to operate True's fixed telephone service itself after the concession ends, Montchai added.
True won the concession from TOT to run 2.6 million fixed telephone lines in Bangkok and its outskirts for 25 years. As of last month, the service had 1.26 million users.
TT&T won the concession from TOT to operate 1.5 million fixed telephone lines in provincial areas, except Greater Bangkok. Currently the service has 384,000 customers. The concession will end in October 2018.
TOT has gained around Bt1 billion a year and Bt400 million a year from the True and TT&T concessions respectively.
Montchai said that after the TT&T concession ended, TOT would operate the company's service itself, given TT&T was bankrupt.
Montchai said that TOT was in the process of hiring an adviser to study its plan to set up National Broadband Network Co (NBN)with CAT Telecom, in line with the order of the State Enterprise Policy Commission for TOT and CAT to merge their redundant three core businesses.
TOT will take the lead in merging the agencies' redundant transmission and fibre-optics networks into the NBN, while CAT will take charge of merging their Internet gateway and submarine-cable networks into Neutral Gateway Network Co, and their Internet data centres into IDC Co.