CAT, TOT to advise new ICT minister of intention to keep their spectra
Play
THE two state telecom agencies will reiterate their intention to keep their spectra so they can continue providing services after the expiry of their concessions when they meet with the new ICT minister tomorrow.
Colonel Sanpachai Huvanandana, acting chief executive officer of CAT Telecom, said his agency wanted to keep 20 megahertz of a currently idle 25MHz band on the 1,800MHz spectrum, which is being held by Total Access Communication (DTAC), until its business licence expires in 2025, instead of 2018 when the DTAC concession ends.
In exchange, it will hand over the remaining idle 5MHz to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) for auction.
DTAC uses only half of the bandwidth on the 1,800MHz spectrum granted to it by CAT under the old concession system.
Meanwhile, Montchai Noosong, acting president of TOT, said the agency would advise Information and Communications Technology Minister Uttama Savanayana of its intention to keep 17.5MHz of the 900MHz spectrum after the concession it granted to Advanced Info Service expires at the end of next month.
In exchange, it is willing to hand over 30MHz it holds on the 2.3-gigahertz spectrum to the NBTC for auction. TOT currently holds 64MHz of bandwidth on 2.3GHz.
Both state agencies have already communicated these plans to former ICT minister Pornchai Rujiprapa.
The NBTC plans to auction licences for the two spectra in November.
Uttama informally took office yesterday. He said he was ready to work with all of the ICT Ministry’s officials. He will convene a meeting with them tomorrow before announcing his policies.
