We were incorporated in November 1990 as a fixed-line phone service provider under a build-transfer operate (BTO) concession with TOT Corporation Public Company Limited (TOT). Our company was registered as a public limited company in 1993 under the name TelecomAsia Corporation Public Company Limited and listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand in December 1993 under a security symbol “TA”. We rebranded under the “True” name and adopted the security symbol “TRUE” in April 2004.
In addition to our traditional fixed-line phone, value-added, public phone and WE PCT (personal communication telephone) services, we started providing hi-speed data transmission services including ADSL and cable modem in 2001, Wi-Fi services in 2003, International Internet Gateway services in 2007, and International Direct Dialing services in 2008. During 2011, our cable modem network was expanded and upgraded using DOCSIS 3.0 technology, which enables us to offer the fastest consumer Broadband service in Thailand. We aim to cover 3 million households within 2012 using both ADSL and DOCSIS 3.0 technologies, up from 2.3 million households at the end of 2011.
We extended our services into the mobile telecommunications segment through a subsidiary, Bangkok Inter Teletech Public Company Limited (BITCO) (the parent company of TA Orange), by acquiring 41.1% equity interest in BITCO in October 2001. TA Orange’s mobile services were fully launched in March 2002. TA Orange was subsequently rebranded “TrueMove” at the beginning of 2006. We gradually increased our indirect shareholding in BITCO to 99.4% as at December 31, 2011.
We further expanded our mobile business through the purchase of shares of four local companies from Hutchison Group which was completed in January 2011. The transaction gave the Company a first-mover advantage in launching commercial 3G services nationwide using HSPA technology on the 850 MHz spectrum. Full commercial 3G+ services were officially launched by our subsidiary Real Move Co., Ltd. ("Real Move") under the TrueMove H brand on August 30, 2011 and will operate until at least 2025.