NBTC to finalise spectrum band auction early

He added that the licensing details would include the 2.1GHz spectrum for providing the 3G cellular broadband service, the 2.3GHz for offering the 4G service, and the 1.8GHz spectrum for providing either the 3G or 4G service.
The details will also include the number of 2.1GHz licences to be available, the licence price, and the details to prevent the spectrum monopoly. It will also tell the potential bidders if after winning the 2.1GHz licences, they can still be eligible to bid for more cellular spectrum licences.
Settapong, who is chairman of the NBTC’s telecom committee, said the telecom committee intends to call for bids for the 2.1GHz licences within the third quarter of next year.
He added that the NBTC would develop the 2.1GHz licence auction plan, based on the existing auction plan devised by the now defunct National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
The telecom committee will ask for the NBTC board’s approval to set up its own subpanel to draft the 2.1GHz spectrum auction plan, comprising experts and five members of the telecom committee. Settapong will be chairman of this subcommittee.
He added that the final auction details of the 2.1GHz licence are expected to be finalised in February.
He said that it is possible the NBTC would auction the 2.3GHz-2.4GHz spectrum licences in 2013 or 2014. But whether the watchdog can do so depends on it reclaiming some of this spectrum band from their state holders first for reallocation.
The country’s 2.3GHz-2.4GHz spectrum band contains a bandwidth of 100MHz. Of the total, 60MHz bandwidth is owned by TOT and the rest is jointly held by military agencies. Settapong added that if the NBTC could reclaim only 30MHz bandwidth from TOT, this bandwidth amount is enough to be put on auction.
The NBTC will have to set up the committee to negotiate with all state spectrum holders to reclaim their spectra for reallocation. And this why it takes time before the NBTC can reclaim the 2.3GHz-2.4GHz spectrum for auction.
For the 1.8GHz spectrum auction, TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC) will have to return their 1.8GHz spectrum to NBTC for reallocation once their concessions end in 2013. Each of their spectrum contains 12.5MHz bandwidth amount.
The NBTC telecom committee will also ask for the NBTC board’s approval to set up a panel to prepare to take back the concessioned spectra from the private concession holders. The panel is expected to start working in January.
Settapong said the telecom committee has already discussed the matter with TrueMove and DPC and is waiting for them to propose their plans on how they would handle the customer transfer once their concessions end.
The NBTC will also have to prepare the interim licences for them to continue to operate on the 1.8GHz spectrum during the transfer of their customers to any desired networks once their concessions end. The NBTC will determine the terms of the interim licences for them based on their proposed details of the customer transfer.
Settapong added that NBTC has prepared well for the possible legal challenges at the planned licence auction. He said the NBTC has no worry that any party would challenge its licensing authority as the watchdog has full regulatory power to grant the spectrum licences.
The NBTC’s telecom committee will also propose its final draft of the telecom master plan for the NBTC board’s approval next week. He expected that the spectrum management plan, the broadcasting master plan and the telecom master plan will be published in the Royal Gazette in March to pave the way for the licence auction.