NBTC discussing True-Dtac merger deal

The discussions follow a Royal Gazette announcement last Thursday that the appointment of five new NBTC members has been royally endorsed.

Prof Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, a medical specialist and a former member of the defunct National Legislative Assembly, will serve as NBTC chairman after being chosen by the new members on January 14.

The four other newly endorsed NBTC commissioners are: the agency’s former deputy secretary-general, Air Marshal Thanapant Raicharoen; Prof Pirongrong Ramasoota, former lecturer at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Communication Arts; Torpong Selanon, president of the Thailand Association of the Blind; and Assoc Prof Suphat Suphachalasai, former director of Thammasat University’s Institute of Area Studies.

The NBTC will reportedly discuss a few issues:

• Two draft notifications – a plan on universal telecommunications and social services, and criteria and procedures for revenue collection to fund the plan – as the NBTC has been appointed to conduct public hearings on the notifications.

• Plan for bidding of satellite orbit licences for broadcasting and broadband communications. NBTC is responsible for maintaining the orbital slots.

• Plan for 3500 MHz spectrum bidding, which is considered a preparation for 6G and low earth orbit satellite technologies.

• Supervision of the True-Dtac merger deal, as well as supervision of True Move H Universal Communication and Dtac TriNet after the merger of the two parent companies is completed.

“Meanwhile, there is a possibility that the new NBTC board will allow its subcommittee and independent advisers to continue to decide on the True-Dtac merger deal,” the press said.

Separately, a telecommunication industry source said True and Dtac would call their new company “True-D”. However, the name has not been registered with the Department of Business Development yet.