DTAC awaiting approval to transfer unused bandwidth for upcoming 4G auction
Total Access Communication (DTAC) has confirmed that it is ready to bid for fourthgeneration telecom licences on both the 1,800 and 900megahertz spectra and believes that the licence auction will generate revenue for the government and boost Thailand's e
Lars Norling, chief executive officer of DTAC, said 4.8MHz on the 1,800MHz band that the company is not using would be returned to the telecom regulator and included in the upcoming auction as soon as the transfer is approved.
However, DTAC says it needs to receive official confirmation of the spectrum reshuffle from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) by August 31.
“With regards to the return of the unused 4.8MHz of the 1,800MHz spectrum to be added to the upcoming auction, DTAC is in the process of obtaining legal approvals from both the NBTC and CAT Telecom. Currently, DTAC has yet to receive formal approvals to proceed,” Norling said.
DTAC has also proposed a single auction for both spectra.
Digital Phone Company (DPC) is in the process of migrating its remaining subscribers from its expired concession to other services under the licensing regime that replaced state concessions. DTAC will then move its 1,800MHz subscribers to that vacant block of the spectrum. However, the process will take some time as it involves the migration of all of DTAC’s 1,800MHz subscribers. Thus, DTAC also asked for an implementation time of up to three months, which shall be finished by November 30.
DTAC has given its full support to the development of a road map that clearly defines the bandwidth to be auctioned and sets out transparent timelines.
With a clear road map, the telecommunications industry will be able to plan ahead to optimise the use of spectrum resources and design the best and most efficient telecom infrastructure that meets the growing demand in the country, it says.
“Thailand is experiencing [rapid] growth in mobile broadband, supported by the government’s ‘digital economy’ strategy, which drives the demand … for wireless communication services. Therefore, it is critical for the government to regulate spectrum management, make available sufficient [bandwidth] for mobile services, and only intervene in the case of spectrum hoarding,” Norling said.
DTAC says that during the second half of this year, it will play a significant role in creating new dimensions in Thailand’s telecommunications industry. This includes forming a telecommunicationstower and fibreoptics joint venture with CAT Telecom and inking a partnership agreement between DTAC TriNet and Advanced Wireless Network Company (AWN) to share telecom towers.
