Deputy PM Prajin to discuss 900MHz issue with TOT this week
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DEPUTY Prime Minister Prajin Juntong will make it clear on Friday whether TOT can keep its bandwidth on the 900-megahertz spectrum or has to hand it over for auction, while supporting CAT Telecom's plan to hand 5MHz from the 1,800MHz spectrum over for au
Prajin, who is in charge of ICT policy, yesterday met with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Information and Communications Technology Ministry to discuss spectrum management. He said he would discuss the 900MHz issue with TOT today and on Friday with the focus on legal issues and compensation. The conclusion will be submitted to the government for its consideration.
Prajin said the NBTC could go ahead with its plan to auction two 900MHz licences. If there is any change in the government’s policy regarding the spectrum, he will inform the commission.
However, the auction could be in trouble if TOT takes legal action against it as it has threatened to do, he said.
Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the NBTC, said the regulator would press ahead with its plan to auction 900MHz licences on December 15. The NBTC will consider approving the auction rules tomorrow.
An NBTC source said that during yesterday’s meeting, the ministry recommended a delay in the 900MHz auction to January to give all parties time to settle the issues regarding this spectrum.
The NBTC said one solution was for TOT to hand over its 900MHz bandwidth for auction and the commission to consider allowing TOT to keep part of its 2.3-gigahertz spectrum to offer fourth-generation service.
The NBTC would reclaim the rest for auction in the future. TOT holds 64MHz of the 2.3GHz spectrum.
The source said Prajin agreed to talk with TOT about this option.
TOT granted the 900MHz concession to Advanced Info Service and it expires at the end of this month.
Prajin will discuss with CAT today CAT’s plan to transfer 5MHz from the idle 25MHz on the 1,800MHz spectrum held by Total Access Communication (DTAC) to the NBTC for auction.
The NBTC had planned to open bidding for the combined 25MHz of 1,800MHz of True Move and Digital Phone Co on November 11, featuring two licences of 12.5MHz each.
If CAT can hand over DTAC’s 5MHz of 1,800MHz to the NBTC for auction, the commission will have a total of 30MHz of the spectrum available for tender, featuring two licences with 15MHz each.
The NBTC set a September 25 deadline for CAT to complete transferring the spectrum.
The ICT Ministry will submit CAT’s plan to the Cabinet. Prajin believes this spectrum transfer can be done before the NBTC’s deadline.
CAT also wants to keep the remaining 20MHz idle bandwidth until 2025, instead of 2018 when DTAC’s concession expires. Prajin said the government would consider this request, but it is not an urgent issue right now.
