NBTC orders revision of protocols for telecom spectrum auction

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on Wednesday declined to approve a draft announcement setting regulations and guidelines for auctioning six bandwidths of telecom spectrum.

NBTC chairman Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck said the telecom watchdog had decided to ask the NBTC Office to review the auction guidelines to prevent collusion between the two major telecom operators – Advanced Info Service and True Corporation.

The NBTC Office had submitted a draft announcement on the auction guidelines for NBTC approval after holding a public hearing on 20 February.

The NBTC plans to auction six spectrum licences for the 850MHz, 1500MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, and 26GHz bandwidths.

Sarana said the NBTC decided to request a review of the guidelines due to concerns that the two providers might collude to share the licences without real competition. This could result in the state not receiving the full benefits of price competition and could negatively impact consumers in the long run.

The NBTC has tasked the NBTC Office with considering the division of frequencies into three groups—low band, mid band, and high band—to ensure genuine competition in the auction process.

Sarana added that the office had also been instructed to study the bandwidth ecosystem to determine which frequencies should be grouped together for more efficient usage.

He reassured that the review of the auction guidelines would not affect the initial schedule, with the auction still planned for 17 and 18 May.

Sarana also clarified that the NBTC’s decision to delay approval was not influenced by a complaint from the Thailand Consumers Council but was instead a proactive measure to ensure the auction was conducted prudently.

He added that the NBTC Office should submit its revised guidelines for NBTC approval by 18 March at the earliest.