AIS banks on large bandwidth to stay ahead
Advanced Info Service aims to clinch at least 15 megahertz of bandwidth of the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum and at least 20MHz of the 1,800MHz spectrum in an effort to maintain its leadership in wireless broadband service, AIS chief executive officer Wichian Me
He added that AIS needed the large bandwidth to provide mobile data services efficiently to its more than 33 million mobile-phone subscribers.
He is confident that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will auction 2.1GHz spectrum licences this year.
The NBTC intends to auction the 2.1GHz licences in the third quarter for providing third-generation cellular broadband service. It aims to auction the 1,800MHz licences six months before the concessions of the cellular operators on that spectrum – TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC) – expire next September.
TrueMove and DPC will transfer their 1,800MHz blocks to the watchdog for reallocation to provide fourth-generation service. TrueMove and DPC each hold 12.5MHz bandwidth of the 1,800MHz spectrum.
Wichian added that if AIS clinched a 2.1GHz spectrum licence from the NBTC in the third quarter, it would launch the 3G-2.1GHz service within the first half of next year.
AIS has provided third-generation service on its existing 900MHz spectrum and has about 2 million 3G subscribers, while Total Access Communication (DTAC) has provided 3G service on its 850MHz spectrum and has about 1.8 million 3G subscribers.
Real Move of True Corp group, which has leased the 850MHz spectrum from CAT Telecom to provide the service, now has about a million subscribers.
TrueMove has about 400,000 3G subscribers, using its existing 850MHz bandwidth on a trial basis. It is asking its concession owner CAT to extend the trial period from March to the end of this year.
The NBTC’s telecom committee is expected to finalise details of the auction method this month, the licence reserve price in May, and the auction terms and conditions in June.
