Spectra management plan needs to be approved: Anudith

The ministry submitted a management plan recently to Cabinet, and if it is approved, it plans to negotiate with the National Broadcasting and Telecom-munications Commission (NBTC) and urge the watchdog to support the two state agencies achieve their goals.

However, the NBTC also plans to approach Cabinet to confirm its stance that CAT should not be allowed to keep the 1,800MHz spectrum, but must return it to the NBTC. It would then be reallocated following the expiry in mid-September of CAT’s 1,800 MHz concessions with TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC). 

NBTC commissioner Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn warned that if Cabinet approves the CAT-TOT spectra management plan, it would risk violating the 2010 Frequency Allocation Law. The frequency law obliges all state agencies to return spectra to the NBTC for reallocation after concessions end. 

As part of CAT’s spectra management plan, it wants to continue using the 800 MHz spectrum – which it has granted to Total Access Communication (DTAC) for another seven years – once DTAC’s concession ends in 2018. CAT cites the need to use the spectrum to offer a mobile data service.

In addition, CAT also wants to keep using the 1,800 MHz spectrum band – granted to TrueMove – for another 12 years, once the TrueMove’s concession ends this September. CAT would deploy the spectrum to continue serving TrueMove customers who fail to move to other networks after September. TrueMove currently has around 17 million customers.

CAT also wants to keep using the other 1,800 MHz band, granted to DPC, for another three years, once DPC’s concession ends on September 15.

In addition, the state agency wants to utilise the unused 25 MHz bandwidth –part of the 50 MHz bandwidth of the 1800 MHz spectrum band – which was granted to DTAC. CAT hopes to use the 25 MHz bandwidth until 2025, once DTAC’s concession ends in 2018. DTAC currently uses only half of the bandwidth and CAT plans to use the other half to offer a 4G broadband cellular service.

Meanwhile, TOT needs to keep using its 470MHz spectrum for a certain period to continue providing around 24,093 phone numbers for rural telephone services in 75 provinces. The plan is to upgrade this spectrum to provide a digital TV service in the future. 

The state agency also wants the NBTC to extend the expiry date of TOT’s 2.3GHz spectrum from June 30, 2011, to 2025 as part of its plan to utilise this spectrum to provide 4G services The NBTC has yet to grant the extension term foe the spectrum to TOT.