Will AIS pay top dollar - or will the NBTC re-sale fall flat?
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Re: “NBTC may allow new bidding for second 900MHz licence next month”, News, April 9.
The bidding for the 900MHz licence has been subject to so many twists and turns. Your reporter, Usanee Mongkolporn, has put everything in the right perspective to understand. The three options for the NBTC for the re-sale of the 900MHz spectrum, as stated in the news, may result in revenue to the government of – either Bt76 billion or zero baht.
The first was to have a new bidding on June 24 without the former failed bidder and also True, who has already secured the first 900 MHz licence. That does not solve the immediate problem of 8.2 million users through AIS’ 2G-900 MHz bandwidth, who will be unable to use of services after April 14 – the extension granted by the court. (AIS has now sought another extension to June 24).
The second option was to ask the NCPO, to use its dictatorial power under section 44 of the interim constitution to grant one commercial company, AIS, to provide continuous service to 8.2 million users if it buys the licence at Bt76 billion. That is a desperate move to rely on autocratic rules.
The third option is to bring forward an auction from June 24 to May 22, as favoured by NBTC. The minimum price has to be Bt76 billion, the price as won and defaulted by the previous bidder. Under this scenario, Dtac has publicly declared that it has no interest at that price. It now appears only AIS could save the day for the NBTC, if by then AIS still thinks paying the exorbitant price of Bt76 billion is worth it for its customer base of 8.2 million users. It may change its mind and not bid at that stage if it can retain that customer base from another source. So, zero baht may result.
Songdej Praditsmanont
