NBTC expected to back telecom licence for THAI
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The telecom committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) this week is expected to approve a telecom licence for Thai Airways International so it can offer an in-flight Wi-Fi service.
A committee source said that the carrier would be able to use the type-1 licence with the 2.4GHz spectrum band to offer the service.
The type-1 licence is for an applicant without its own network. The 2.4GHz is the unlicensed band the watchdog has allocated for providing a commercial Wi-Fi service.
The source added that according to THAI’s application, the carrier would use the licence to provide the service on Airbus 380-800 and Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.
The working panel of the committee also recently concluded that THAI can provide data services via its Wi-Fi technology.
THAI has applied for the licences, for both Wi-Fi and voice services. However, the NBTC has yet to finalise whether the carrier can provide on-board mobile voice services.
Thai law obliges those wanting to use spectra to provide telecommunication services to bid for those spectra, and they have to provide the service on their own.
