Winners of 1800MHz licences to make first 4G moves today
The battle for 4G customers is set to get under way today, as the two winners of telecom licences on the 1800-megahertz spectrum make their first moves. Advanced Wireless Network (AWN) will announce that it will launch its fourth-generation wireless servi
Meanwhile, Advanced Info Service (AIS) reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday that its preliminary budget for its subsidiary AWN to roll out the 4G-1800MHz network was about Bt14.52 billion. The source of funds is its operating cash flow and loans from financial institutions and/or debentures, which carry no conditions affecting the rights of shareholders.
The 1800MHz licences were won in an auction last month. Another auction, this one for licences on the 900MHz spectrum, is set for December 15.
Today all four bidders for the 900MHz auction – AWN, TUC of True Corp, DTAC TriNet of Total Access Communication, and Jas Mobile Broadband of Jasmine International – will go to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission office to take part in a mock auction.
An industry source said AWN would take this opportunity to announce at the NBTC that it will debut its 4G service tomorrow.
The NBTC will also award the 4G-1800MHz licence to TUC today at 11am. TUC executives reportedly will be accompanied to the NBTC by a Thai-styled drum parade.
The same industry source said AWN had moved up the schedule to launch the service to December 5 after there are reported that it would do so in the middle of this month.
So far AWN has obtained around 1,000 permits from the NBTC to import and use 4G-1800MHz equipment. Around 1,000 base stations will be switched on at the launch date.
AWN paid Bt20.493 billion as the first instalment of the total upfront licence fee and placed bank guarantees for the second and third instalments at the same time, on November 23, and obtained the licence two days later.
Currently TUC and DTAC are the only two telecom companies offering 4G service under the NBTC licensing regime, on the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum.
TUC claims that it was the first to launch 4G service on 2.1GHz last year. Currently it has 10,000 2.1GHz base stations nationwide.
DTAC was the first to launch 4G service on 1800MHz, but under a CAT Telecom concession. DTAC has provided 4G on 15MHz of 1800MHz and 5MHz on 2.1GHz with a combined total 2,200 base stations.
In a separate matter, the NBTC has prepared bigger bidding areas for the four participants in the December 15 900MHz auction. The areas have been outfitted with facilities such as beds, massage sofas, fitness equipment, television sets and DVD players, slippers, towels, mini-bar snacks and other amenities.
Each bidding area will have four parts: the auction room, a dining room, a relaxation room and a restroom.
There were complaints that the facilities for the 1800MHz auction last month were uncomfortable for the four bidders.
