NBTC could bring in Bt40 bn from 1800MHz auction
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THE NATIONAL Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission expects to realise up to Bt40 billion from the auction of two licences for the provision of 4G services under the 1800MHz spectrum, NBTC member Prasert Silpiphat said yesterday.
Four groups of telecom operators yesterday submitted the required documents – with a bank guarantee of Bt796 million per bidder and a submission fee of Bt535,000 each – for them to bid for the licences.
They are Jas Mobile Broadband, a subsidiary of Jasmine International; DTAC TriNet, a unit of Total Access Communication (DTAC); Advanced Info Service’s Advanced Wireless Network (AWN); and True Corp’s True Move H Universal Communication.
Jas Mobile, a newcomer to the mobile-phone business, will be partaking in a licence auction for the first time, while the other three are incumbent operators.
Some of the companies picked what they considered to be an auspicious time to submit the bid documents.
The AWN representatives, who were dressed in blue suits, did so at 10.31am precisely, while True Move H Universal Communication made sure it was the last to submit its paperwork, after 4pm. The NBTC will announce the names of the qualified bidders after October 15. If all four qualify, the starting price for the bidding will be Bt15.912 billion per licence.
The agency expects to bring in at least Bt33.416 billion from the auction, assuming all four companies take part.
If only two companies qualify, the starting price will be Bt19.89 billion per licence and the regulator expects to realise Bt40.576 billion from the auction.
The NBTC will hold the auction on November 11, announce the bid winners by November 18 and award the licences the following month.
In a related matter, the telecom committee of the NBTC yesterday approved DTAC’s plan to complete the rearrangement of the 1800MHz spectrum by the end of November.
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry recently agreed to transfer 5MHz of 1800MHz bandwidth from both CAT Telecom and DTAC to the NBTC.
Meanwhile, CAT Telecom is still considering whether to take further legal action against the NBTC for holding the upcoming 1800MHz licence auction.
Last year, CAT filed a lawsuit at the Central Administrative Court against the auction plan, claiming that it held the rights to the 1800MHz spectrum licences until 2018.
CAT granted 1800MHz concessions to TrueMove and Digital Phone Co. The concessions expired in September 2013.
