Smaller telecoms seek bandwidth limits on 2.1GHz auction
Small and medium-sized telecom operators have asked the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to limit the bandwidth on the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum that is open for bidding at 15 megahertz for each licence.
Settapong Malisuwan, a member of the NBTC, said the operators were afraid that cashed-up bidders would take all the bandwidth at their expense.
The regulator’s 2.1GHz management committee held a meeting on Tuesday for comments on options for dividing up the bandwidth on the 2.1GHz spectrum.
The panel invited 12 telecoms, and nine showed up – Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication (DTAC), True Corp, CAT Telecom, TOT, Samart Corp, Loxley, Benchachinda Holdings and Jasmine International.
True Corp made a similar observation as the small and medium-sized operators, while AIS and DTAC did not make any specific input.
The NBTC plans to auction off 45MHz of bandwidth on the 2.1GHz spectrum next quarter.
It is widely believed that there will be only three bidders – AIS, DTAC and True.
The 2.1GHz committee is expected to consider the options again in one or two weeks and decide on the method.
Among the options is dividing the 45MHz bandwidth into nine slots, each with 5MHz of bandwidth, and allowing the bidders to bid for them at a certain maximum bandwidth to be established soon by the NBTC.
Another option is granting three licences, each with a different bandwidth – 10MHz, 15MHz and 20MHz.
Most of the operators did not want the N-1 method, which calls for three licences to be auctioned off for at least four bidders, two licences for three bidders, one licence for two bidders and no auction for one bidder.
