NBTC may cut time for return of spectra
The board of the National Broadcas-ting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is expected to shorten the period in which state spectrum-holders must return their spectra for reallocation at its March 14 meeting.
The meeting is being held to finalise the draft spectrum, broadcasting and telecom master plans.
An NBTC source said the board is expected to reduce the amount of time state agencies have to return radio spectra that are not held under concessions to within three years from the five years specified in the original draft spectrum-management master plan.
The period will be shortened to within five years for TV spectra, down from 10 years.
For telecom spectra, the board is expected either to maintain the period at 15 years or shorten it to 10 years. The 15-year term is the same as the period for the NBTC’s new telecom licences.
Under the original draft spectrum-management master plan, state agencies must return for reallocation spectra held under concessions when the contracts expire.
In the cases of spectra without an expiry date, radio spectra must be returned to the NBTC within five years, TV spectra within 10 years and telecom spectra within 15 years.
The NBTC held a public hearing on the draft spectrum, broadcasting and telecom master plans last month and will convene to finalise them on March 14.
At the public hearing, it emerged that while the public sector wants to see the commission take back the spectra for reallocation as soon as possible, the state agencies want more time to adjust their operations in the NBTC era.
NBTC telecom committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan said yesterday that the spectrum return periods might be shortened, pending the board’s final decision.
The NBTC source added that the commission would include in the draft telecom master plan a requirement that the NBTC prepare measures to deal with the approaching expirations of the telecom concessions as urged by the telecom operators at the public hearing.
The concessions of TrueMove and Digital Phone Co end in September 2013. NBTC broadcasting committee chairman Natee Sukonrat said the wordings in the draft broadcasting master plan would be adjusted.
The NBTC is expected to have the final master plans published in the Royal Gazette this month, enabling it to auction the 2.1GHz spectrum licences as intended in the third quarter.
