New ministry to discuss satellite industry changes with Thaicom

Meanwhile, Thai telecom consultants Mobile LTE have applied for a licence from the National Broadcasting and Telecommun-ications Commission (NBTC) to provide a satellite signal uplink/downlink service, an NBTC source said.
Songporn said that Mobile LTE had approached the ministry for the permit to launch the uplink-downlink service but the ministry advised the company to apply for the licence at the NBTC first.
She said any company applying for an NBTC licence to operate a satellite service would now be regarded by the ministry as operating it under the ministry’s Build-Transfer Operate (BOT) contract. If a firm applied for a NBTC satellite licence after 2021, it would be regarded as operating it under an NBTC licence.
The MDES was established on Friday to replace the Information and Communications Technology Ministry. It can continue the ICT ministry’s tasks but cannot do tasks related to digital economy policies until pending the digital economy law takes effect. Cabinet has acknowledged the ministry proposal to reform the satellite-service industry by bringing the Thaicom 7 and 8 satellites into the ministry’s concession regime, which will expire in 2021.
Both satellites operate under the single NBTC licence. Other Thaicom satellites – 5 and 6 – operate under the ministry’s concession regime.
It was speculated that former ICT minister Uttama Savanayana will be re-appointed to Cabinet but it has yet to be confirmed if he will be made MDES minister or head another ministry. Uttama resigned last week to pave way for the MDES’ formation.
Mobile LTE was founded in October 2014 with registered capital of Bt100 million. Among its major shareholders is Chatchai Yenbamrung. Chatchai is former executive of Shinawatra Directory Co, now known as Teleinfo Media Plc. Mobile LTE is one of the companies aiming to be a possible strategic partner with TOT to provide the 2.1GHz wireless broadband service.