JASMBB fined nearly Bt200 million
THE NATIONAL Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has slapped a fine of Bt199.423 million on Jas Mobile Broadband (JASMBB) for failing to pay the first instalment of a 900MHz licence upfront fee by the deadline of March 21.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said the regulator’s telecom committee had decided yesterday to fine the company this amount.
It had already confiscated Bt644 million that the company placed with the committee before the auction of two 900MHz licences last December.
The final fine is higher than Bt131 million proposed by the NBTC panel assigned to seek damages from JASMBB, a subsidiary of Jasmine International.
“The company has to pay us within 15 days, by June 16. It can appeal against the fine, if it does not agree with the figure,” Takorn said, adding that the case might end up in the civil court.
A representative of JASMBB yesterday picked up the penalty letter from the NBTC’s office.
Takorn said the Bt199.423-million fine comprised three parts.
The calculation of the first element, Bt20.24 million, is based on the Bt80-million cost of the regulator holding the 900MHz licences last December, divided into four as there were four bidders.
The second part, Bt10 million, |is the cost of the re-auction of the forfeited 900MHz licence on May 27.
The final element – Bt169.175 million – is made up of Bt1.675 |million per day for the company’s failure to pay the first instalment of the licence upfront fee of Bt8.04 billion.
The calculation is based on 7.5-per-cent interest charged on the Bt8.04 billion from March 22 until June 30.
June 30 is the date the new winner of the 900MHz licence, Advanced Wireless Network, is expected to pay the first instalment of the licence upfront fee, ahead of the deadline of August 24, he explained.
If Advanced Wireless Network pays the fee on any other date, calculation of this part of the penalty will cease on that day.
Takorn added that, once it was paid, the NBTC would transfer the penalty sum in full to the state |coffers.
