Regulator say sought on need for licence for CAT-DTAC JVs
STATE TELECOM enterprise CAT Telecom and Total Access Communication (DTAC), which holds a concession from CAT, have jointly consulted the regulator about whether their planned joint ventures for telecom towers and a fibre-optic network will have to get telecom licences.
A source at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission (NBTC) said recently that DTAC had submitted a request to the NBTC for its opinion on the matter.
The NBTC will ask its Telecom Committee to make the decision on the issue soon.
If a licence is needed for these two cases, it could affect the regulator’s conclusion on a similar case involving telecom infrastructure funds, the source said.
Two such funds have been launched – the Digital Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund by True Group and the Jasmine Broadband Internet Infrastructure Fund by Jasmine International.
Last year, the Telecom Committee ruled that they did not need a telecom licence.
Sanpachai Huvanandana, CAT’s president, said CAT has sent the JV proposal to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society for consideration, before forwarding it to the Cabinet.
He said he thought the two JVs did not need an operating licence.
According to DTAC’s letter to the NBTC, it discussed the plans to set up two 52:49 joint ventures, Telecom Co and Fibre Optic Co, with CAT.
This is part of the plan to settle their dispute over the ownership of DTAC ‘s telecommunications towers under the concession.
According to their initial agreement, Telecom Co will buy all 13,500 disputed telecom towers from CAT, while Fibre Optic Co will buy the fibre network from CAT.
The JVs will allow DTAC to manage and operate both assets. DTAC will also be the main customer of the assets.
DTAC and CAT are of the same opinion that the JVs do not need a telecom licence because they will not operate the assets, just like the infrastructure funds do not need a licence.
