The board of the telecom regulator decides to stick with four spectrum ranges for the 5G licence bid in February.
Board open to any potential bidders
The board of the telecom regulator has finally decided to stick to four spectra for the 5G licence auctions scheduled for February, despite calls by major mobile operators to put only the 2600-megahertz range up for auction.
The resolution was passed unanimously by the board yesterday. The four spectra set for auction are 700MHz, 1800MHz, 2600MHz and 26-gigahertz.
The decision came after state enterprise CAT Telecom on Monday wrote to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), indicating it is interested in bidding for 700MHz licences for wireless broadband service.
CAT is not committed to participating in the auction, said Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the NBTC. If CAT does not join the auction, it will not face any penalties, he said.
Last week, the auction of the 700MHz range in February looked uncertain after the NBTC’s telecom committee pitched removing it.
The committee indicated 15MHz of bandwidth on the 700MHz range is still not ready for auction because of some technical difficulties.
The range is being used by broadcasting network providers, which have to be migrated to the 510-590MHz range in line with the standards of the International Telecommunication Union, which determined 700MHz as a telecom service range.
Some slots on the 700MHz range are now under microphone usage, while the range will be vacated by March 2021.
CAT may want to grab 700MHz licences for mobile service in the future, especially after its 850MHz licence expires in 2025, said Mr Takorn.
The auction will begin with the 700MHz licences, and then 1800MHz, 2600MHz and 26GHz will be auctioned off.
TAKORN TANTASITH Secretary-general, NBTC
“The Feb 16 auction will begin with the 700MHz licences, and then 1800MHz, 2600MHz and 26GHz will be auctioned off respectively,” he said.
The board is open to any potential bidders participating, even JAS Mobile Broadband (JASMBB), which offered the highest bid for the 900MHz auction in 2015, but ultimately defaulted on the licence payment.
JASMBB can participate in the auction as the company complied with the penalty rule and paid all fines to the regulator, Mr Takorn said.
He said the auctions are likely to generate 50 million baht in revenue from 700MHz and 2600MHz ranges, as well as some portions of 26GHz.
A source from the mobile industry who requested anonymity said the board’s resolution was a bitter result for the three operators.
“The operators do not want the auction to be open to newcomers or uncommitted bidders that would yield unfavourable results for the industry,” the source said. “The government and the NBTC always ask us to collaborate and help move the country forward, but they never heed our advice, even reasonable points.”