Cabinet to consider ICT Ministry bid to negotiate on firms' plans to keep spectra
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The Cabinet's agenda-screening committee has accepted an Information and Communications Technology Ministry proposal to represent the government in negotiating with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on the plans of TOT an
Once Cabinet approves the ministry’s proposal, the minister will start talks with the NBTC on the state agencies’ request to be allowed to keep some spectra for a certain period to support the government’s Smart Thailand scheme, and to develop their own services after the concessions for these spectra end, ICT Minister Anudith Nakornthap said.
CAT wants to keep the 1,800-megahertz and 850MHz spectra, while TOT wants to keep using 470MHz, 900MHz and 2.3-gigahertz spectra.
The 1,800MHz concessions of Digital Phone Co and TrueMove under CAT will end on September 15, while the 1800MHz concession of Total Access Communication under CAT will expire in 2018. The 900MHz concession of Advanced Info Service under TOT will end in 2015.
The NBTC intends to auction the 1,800MHz bands of DPC and TrueMove next year to provide wireless broadband service.
The NBTC has insisted that after the concession ends, the spectra will have to be returned to the NBTC for reallocation by means of auction, according to the 2010 Frequency Allocation Law. It believes the government would risk violating the Frequency Law if it decides to allow CAT and TOT to keep the spectra after the concession expiration.
