Satellite licence rules under study

Committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan said yesterday that the regulations were for those applying for a Type 3 licence to be a satellite network provider.

Its subcommittee drafting the licensing regulations has yet to complete them for the other two licence types, one for providers of satellite signal uplink-downlink service and one for satellite bandwidth resellers. 

The telecom committee members have yet to reach a conclusion on whether the NBTC needs to hold a public hearing on the draft regulations for satellite network provider licences. While some members say a hearing should be held as it is a new licence type, others say there is no need to do so, as the regulations on granting Type 3 licences already exist and are in effect. The Type 3 licence is for an applicant with its own large network.

The subcommittee members are also debating whether to limit licence applications to those with experience in launching a satellite and coordinating with other operators to prevent the possibility of frequency jamming between their satellites. 

Howeve, some members are concerned that if this happens, this would block a Thai company that has no such experience but wants to enter the satellite business from applying.

Thaicom is the country’s only satellite concession holder with experience in both areas.

The subcommittee also asked the telecom committee to consider whether the holder of this type of licence needed only one to operate all of its satellites or needed a separate licence for each one.

Settapong said Thaicom had already requested a licence.