NBTC may seek nod to revive spectra auction process

The watchdog was originally scheduled to auction 1800MHz in August and 900MHz in November this year but the NCPO on July 17 instructed it to postpone the auction plan for a year in order to amend related regulations to ensure transparent and fair auctions. 

The one-year postponement will also allow TOT and CAT Telecom to adjust operations and become profitable. 

The 1,800MHz band belongs to TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC), whose concessions expired last September, and the 900MHz to AIS, whose concessions will expire in September next year.

According to a telecom analyst, the auctions of these two spectra are likely to be postponed by more than a year due to the introduction of a new constitution, which will be passed in the middle of 2015, which could require the selection of a new telecom and media regulator. There is still no conclusion on how to make TOT profitable.

The State Enterprise Policy Commission, better known as the “superboard”, had ordered both CAT and TOT to conduct due diligence on their operations as part of its move to work out a policy to improve their businesses. 

Last week, Information and Communications Technology Minister Pornchai Rujiprapa said one of his priorities is to improve the financial performance of CAT and TOT. 

The minister also discussed with the NBTC the planned collaboration on ICT issues and possible amendment of the 2010 Frequency Allocation Act. 

A telecom industry source said that attempts are being made to revise the frequency law so as to make the NBTC report to the prime minister. Besides, the law will be amended to permit spectrum assignment through several means, instead of only through auction. The number of the NBTC commissioners should also be reduced to five from the present 10. 

Originally the NBTC had 11 members before one member, Suthiphon Thaveechaiyagarn, resigned to join the State Audit Commission.