Telecom panel mulls licence for Thaicom 8
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The Telecom Committee says it needs one more month to consider Thaicom's request to launch the Thaicom 8 broadcast satellite.
Chairman Settapong Malisuwan said yesterday that a subcommittee had been formed to study what type of licence should be involved.
The country’s sole satellite company could operate the satellite under a new 15-year licence or under the 15-year licence awarded on June 26 of last year for Thaicom 7, which is expected to be sent to the 120-degrees-east orbital slot in mid-2014.
Thaicom 8 is needed to serve the expected strong demand from terrestrial digital TV stations, especially those broadcasting in high definition.
Thaicom has proposed operating this new satellite under the Thaicom 7 licence.
Settapong said the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) had yet to provide details on the new satellite plan but just specified the 78.5-degrees-east orbital slot for it.
On October 11, the Information and Communications Technology Ministry advised the NBTC that it had informed the International Telecommunication Union that Thailand would launch one more satellite into the 78.5E slot.
Thaicom 8 will be positioned in that slot.
Thaicom 6 is set to be moved to 78.5E this year, which is the current location of Thaicom 5. It is a technically appropriate slot for Thai broadcasters.
Thaicom 6 will be the last satellite to operate under the ICT Ministry’s concession. Thaicom 6, which cost US$163 million (more than Bt5 billion), will start service in the first quarter of next year.
