More MVNO licences might be granted
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The national broadcasting and telecom regulator may grant more mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business licences, as it appears that the business may be acceptable under the new frequency allocation law, according to a study by a subcommittee of th
A source on the subcommittee assigned to study the possible impacts of the 2010 Frequency Allocation Law on MVNOs said the law is aimed to prevent other parties taking “control” of telecom licence-holders’ frequencies. But the MVNOs do not control the frequencies; they just provide telecom services on the licence-holders’ frequencies.
However, the subcommittee has yet to finish examining whether the partnership between CAT Telecom and True Corp’s group to provide 3G broadband cellular service complies with the frequency law.
BFKT (Thailand), a subsidiary of Real Future, has procured 3G network equipment for CAT to generate 3G bandwidth capacity. CAT has wholesaled this capacity to Real Move. Real Future and Real Move are True’s subsidiaries.
Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said the watchdog’s telecom committee would look at the results of the subcommittee’s study on the MVNO issue tomorrow.
Article 46 (2) of the frequency law obliges NBTC licence-holders to utilise the spectra on their own. They are prohibited from granting, either in part or in full, spectrum-management rights to other parties. This aspect of the law had raised doubts about whether MVNO businesses are legal.
MVNOs are firms without their own networks who have partnered with telecom operators to provide the services.
The NBTC’s predecessor, the National Telecommunications Com-mission, granted licences to 17 MVNOs before suspending the issuing process after the 2010 frequency law took effect, over concerns that the MVNO business might not be allowed under the law. After getting off the ground last October, the NBTC set up the subcommittee to study the possible impact of the law on the MVNO business.
Many firms are waiting for MVNO licences from the NBTC. Of the 17 existing MVNOs, five are active.
If it were decided that the MVNOs could not be allowed, this would affect TOT’s existing 3G-service business. The state agency has partnered with five MVNOs – Samart I-Mobile, Loxley, IEC, 365 Communication and M Consultant – to provide its 3G-2.1GHz service. CAT is also looking for MVNO partners to provide its 3G-850 MHz service.
