Telecom spectrum auctions to be held in November, December

The time frame was proposed by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.

According to the proposal, there will be four licences up for auction, two of 12.5 megahertz each on the 1,800MHz spectrum and two of 10MHz each on the 900MHz spectrum.

The NBTC will hold the 1,800MHz auction in November, and take bids for the two 900MHz licences in December.

The commission is expected to bring in at least Bt42.9 billion from the auctions, and will start to pass the up-front licence fees from the winning bidders to the state in January.

The NBTC will hold public hearings on the 1,800MHz auction plan from July to September, invite bidder proposals in August and September, and start the auction on November 11. The preparations for the 900MHz auction will follow those for the 1,800MHz bid by a month, with the auction itself kicking off on December 15.

The NBTC had originally planned to open the bidding for both spectra in mid-2014, but the military’s seizure of power from the elected government put that plan on hold. In July, the junta ordered the commission to hold off the auction for one year, pending thorough clarification of the plan.

Meanwhile, Total Access Communication (DTAC) will propose to the NBTC and the ICT Ministry that it transfer its bandwidth on the 1,800MHz and 850MHz spectra to the watchdog for auction before its concessions expire in 2018. This will enable the NBTC to put up for auction as much as 105MHz of bandwidth on various spectra, said DTAC interim chief executive officer Sigve Brekke.

DTAC will not ask for any compensation from this move but will reserve the right to continue using its spectra before the concession expires in 2018. The company currently provides mobile-phone service under a CAT Telecom concession.

The bandwidth the NBTC plans to auction late this year on the 1,800MHz spectrum is currently held by TrueMove and Digital Phone Co (DPC). Combined with the two 10MHz licences on 900MHz to be auctioned in December, this means the commission a total of 45MHz will be up for grabs in this round.

Brekke said DTAC was willing to reshuffle its bandwidth holdings on 1,800MHz to allow a contiguous spectrum that provides customers with a world class fourth-generation network. Currently part of DTAC’s 1,800MHz band stands between those of TrueMove and DPC.

DTAC is also willing to transfer all 50MHz of its 1,800MHz holding and 10MHz it holds on the 850MHz spectrum to the NBTC for reallocation by auction.

DTAC’s concessions of both spectra will expire in 2018. This means the NBTC will have a total of 75MHz bandwidth on the 1,800MHz spectrum from DTAC, DPC and TrueMove combined available for auction.

Brekke said DTAC would not be affected if the auction were delayed further, as it has enough bandwidth.