Call for sufficient 4G bandwidth
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Three private telecom operators are jointly urging the national regulator and the government to put a large-enough mobile bandwidth into the impending auctions of new spectrum licences, in order to ensure their efficient provision of bandwidth-hungry 4G s
The heads of Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Corp made a joint announcement on the issue yesterday.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) originally planned to auction 12.5MHz bandwidth each of TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC) in the 1,800MHz spectrum, and AIS’s 17.5MHz bandwidth in the 900MHz spectrum.
Some operators want the watchdog to add the idled 25MHz of DTAC’s 1,800MHz bandwidth and the currently used 10MHz of the same operator’s 850MHz spectrum bandwidth in the auction, too.
Sigve Brekke, DTAC’s interim chief executive officer, said that at least 10-15MHz bandwidth of 850MHz and 900MHz and at least 15MHz bandwidth of 1,800MHz should be available for each operator.
“We need more spectra to provide service access for all customers and Thai people, because the digital economy is about access for all. That’s why all three operators are together here,” he said.
True CEO Suphachai Chearavanont said that having at least 20MHz bandwidth per operator would be a suitable amount for 4G technology, which consumed more spectrum space.
The government should also consider the ‘beauty contest’ process as an alternative means of allocating new spectrum licences, which would benefit consumers, he said.
Under a beauty contest, licences will be awarded to those proposing the most commercially viable plans and also committing to offer maximum benefits to the country.
If the country benefited from the licensing, True would also grow in parallel, Suphachai said, adding that he did not want to see all bidders throwing massive amounts of money on the auction table to compete for the licences.
However, Brekke said spectrum allocation by means of auction was the most suitable way for Thailand in terms of transparency.
AIS CEO Somchai Lertsuttiwong stressed that the joint press conference was not aimed at signalling that the three companies were joining forces against possible newcomers, as they all welcomed new operators.
He said the government should hasten allowing the NBTC to hold the auctions. The more they are delayed, the more the country will lose the opportunity to build a telecom infrastructure to support the government’s digital-economy policy.
The NBTC had planned to auction the licences for the spectrum bandwidths of TrueMove, DPC and AIS this year.
However, the National Council for Peace and Order ordered the watchdog to suspend the schedule for one year, pending complete clarification of the plans.
Brekke said mobile-data consumption was expected to roughly double every year for the next few years, making it critical to unlock significantly more spectrum space.
“The solution we propose today is to help meet this demand and maximise the benefits to consumers, government and society as a whole,” the CEO added.
