ICT Ministry wants to resolve network issues before 4G auction

“We need to resolve the disputes, especially over ownership of telecommunications towers and infrastructure under the concessions, as these assets will be the keys for business expansion under the new licences,” a government source said yesterday.

The state enterprises or the private operators would gain the upper hand in expanding their business with 4G if they get to legally own the assets, the source said.

MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, the deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, reaffirmed that the auction would take place in the first half of this year and that the government has given top priority to it. 

ICT Minister Pornchai Rujiprapa said the ministry strongly supported the auction.

Recently Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said the NBTC might have to delay the auction from August to December or even later as so far there has been no go-ahead sign from the National Council for Peace and Order to resume preparing the plan to auction the 1800MHz bands of TrueMove and Digital Phone.

The bands can be used to provide 4G service.

The NBTC had planned to hold the auction in the middle of last year, but on July 17 the junta ordered it to suspend the auction for one year, pending complete clarification of the auction plan. 

The telecom operators are hopeful that the auction will happen as soon as possible to allow them to acquire more bandwidth to serve rising demand for wireless Internet service from their subscribers.

 

Legal battle

According to the build-operate-transfer terms of their concessions, the private operators have to transfer assets under their concessions to the state telecom enterprises after the concessions expire. 

CAT Telecom and Total Access Communication (DTAC) are engaged in a legal ownership battle over 10,419 telecom towers under the concession, while CAT and TrueMove are wrangling over 8,031 telecom towers. 

Advanced Info Service and TOT are clashing over who owns 13,198 telecom towers under the concession.

 The private telecom operators in recent months have also tried to seek ways to end these disputes with the state enterprises by suggesting partnerships. 

AIS proposed to join with TOT to manage the 13,198 telecom towers in the concession. However, TOT still has yet to make a decision.

CAT’s board recently approved DTAC’s proposal to set up a joint venture with CAT to operate the telecom towers under dispute. 

Then CAT forwarded this matter for the consideration of the State Enterprise Policy Commission.

ICT Minister Pornchai also said yesterday that certain digital economy bills, including the one creating the Digital for Economy and Society Ministry, are expected to be taken up by the National Legislative Assembly in April and go into force in June.

The government has drafted 10 bills related to the promotion of the digital economy.