Starting bid for 900MHz licence auction raised
THE TELECOM committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission yesterday approved the final auction rules for two 900-megahertz licences, which raised the starting bid to Bt12.86 billion each from Bt11.26 billion.
This reflects the increase of the initial bid to 80 per cent of full spectrum value from the originally planned 70 per cent.
The auction rules will be submitted to the NBTC for consideration next Wednesday.
The NBTC will also be asked at its meeting to finalise the date for the 900MHz auction, said Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the commission.
The auction has already been set for December 15 but some committee members believe it should take place on November 11 or 12. The NBTC will auction two 1,800MHz licences on November 11.
Takorn said the date for the 900MHz licence auction should be scheduled after the meeting on Monday between Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong, who is in charge of policy on information and communications technology, and the NBTC to discuss the allocation of spectra as well as management.
According to the approved rules for the 900MHz auction, the bid winners will have to cover 50 per cent of the population with their network in four years and 80 per cent in eight years.
The draft rules had only required them to cover 40 per cent in four years.
The winners have to pay their up-front licence fee in three annual instalments of 50 per cent of the full amount in the first year and 25 per cent in both the second and third years.
If the total up-front fee exceeds 100 per cent of the full 900MHz spectrum value of Bt16.08 billion, they will pay the excess in the fourth year.
