FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

NBTC protests to the Cabinet

NBTC protests to the Cabinet

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission yesterday protested in writing to the Cabinet against the plans of TOT and CAT Telecom to continue using some of their frequencies after their concessions end.

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry recently forwarded to the Cabinet the proposals of both state enterprises to keep some frequencies instead of returning them to the NBTC.

Takorn Tantasit, secretary-general of the NBTC, said that if the Cabinet approved both state enterprises’ plans, it might risk infringing the frequency law, which requires all state agencies to return the frequencies granted to them through their concessions to the regulator for reallocation after their contracts end.

The ICT Ministry claims that the NBTC has to comply with government policy, which has already been declared to Parliament. The commission says it has followed government policy but cannot disobey the frequency law.

The NBTC’s letter demands that CAT return the 1,800-megahertz frequency, which expires in September. The NBTC plans to auction off that spectrum next year. The commission also insists that TOT must comply with the frequency law on the right to operate its 470MHz and 2.3-gigahertz bands.

The Cabinet is expected to consider the ministry’s proposal in a few weeks.

CAT wants to keep using the other 1,800MHz band, which it granted to Digital Phone Company, for three more years.

TOT says it needs to keep using the 470MHz frequency for a certain period to serve 24,093 phone numbers of a rural telephone service in 75 provinces. It plans to upgrade this spectrum to provide digital television service in the future.

 

nationthailand