NBTC proposes compensating state agencies that relinquishbandwidth
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has proposed a special fund to pay compensation to the state agencies if they transfer telecom bandwidth to the NBTC to be reallocated by auction.
Secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said the NBTC had proposed to the Council of State that this provision be added to the draft of the new Frequency Allocation Bill. Under the proposal, the NBTC would transfer the money it receives from up-front licence fees paid by the successful bidders into a fund from which to compensate the state agencies. Whatever is left over from those fees would be separated into two parts, with 25 per cent going into the upcoming digital economy fund and the rest returned to the state.
The Information and Communication Technology Ministry and the NBTC have been trying to reclaim high-value bandwidth from the state agencies for auction off for commercial use.
Currently, MCOT and the Public Relations Department hold 128 and 26 megahertz respectively on the 2.6-gigahertz spectrum, while TOT holds 64MHz of the 2.3GHz spectrum. Both spectra could be used for fourth-generation broadband.
The ICT Ministry and the NBTC will jointly propose the auction plan to the Cabinet today. The plan will also include a provision that no mobile-telecom operator can hold more than 50MHz of bandwidth.
The cap is aimed at ensuring that small operators can obtain bandwidth at the upcoming spectrum licence auction so as to create more competition for the three incumbent private players.
The NBTC will have to issue new regulations to enforce the 50MHz maximum. The regulations will automatically apply to those currently exceeding the cap. The cap will apply only to spectra actually in use.
