Korean firm, CAT studying 4G feasibility
SK TELECOM of South Korea recently joined with CAT Telecom for a feasibility study on the 4G wireless broadband service market here after recently signing an agreement to explore future collaborations, including bidding for telecom licences and developing
They surveyed Bangkok and the five regions of Thailand – Central (Nakhon Sawan and Supan Buri), North (Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai), Northeast (Khon Khan and Si Sa Ket) and South (Hat Yai and Phattalung).
There was significant demand for 4G, especially from young urbanites aged under 30. About 49 per cent used smartphones. The rest used feature phones, of whom 61 per cent were willing to buy new smartphones.
Network coverage, call service reliability and monthly payment plans were crucial in deciding which wireless service to subscribe to.
CAT president Kitisak Sriprasert said CAT is seeking many new opportunities in the wireless market, such as investing in the unused 25MHz bandwidth of the 1800MHz frequency or entering the 1,800MHz licence auction next year.
CAT had granted 50MHz in bandwidth from the 1800MHz frequency to Total Access Communication (DTAC) to provide cellular service under the concession that it granted to DTAC, but DTAC uses only half of that bandwidth. Now CAT wants to utilise the other, idle half to provide 4G service.
DTAC is also interested in using this band to develop a 4G service under its concession from CAT.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is planning to auction the 1800MHz bands of TrueMove and Digital Phone Co next year, after their concessions expired in September.
CAT letter to NBTC
On November 1, CAT sent a letter to the NBTC reasserting its right to tap the unused 25MHz band, citing its right to operate this band until 2025 under its telecom licence from the NBTC.
It said the NBTC has to consider its request to use this spectrum under Article 82 of the Frequency Allocation Act, under which state enterprises can inform the watchdog of the necessity of continuing to use frequencies.
The NBTC has said CAT has to return all frequencies after the concessions it granted expire.
Kitisak said if CAT is allowed to use this idle band, it will join with SKT to invest in the 4G technology to run on it. The other option is to join with DTAC to develop the 4G service.
“If we are not allowed to use this spectrum, it is possible for us to join with SKT to enter the NBTC’s 1800MHz auction next year. Since we already have 15MHz bandwidth of 800MHz, we are interested in 1800MHz in order to develop the 4G service,” he said.
