Delay in 5G licence payment on cards

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has been ordered to study a proposal to delay 5G spectrum licence payment in a move to help alleviate the financial hardship of the winning bidders which have been hard hit by the pandemic.

According to a source from the Government House who requested anonymity, a meeting of the national committee to drive 5G technology chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday agreed to assign the NBTC to study the possibility of delaying the 5G spectrum licence payment and other appropriate solutions.

The NBTC was required to propose the solutions at the next meeting which is not yet scheduled. More details are unavailable.

Thailand is a first mover for 5G commercial adoption in Asean, with network roll-out beginning in the second quarter of 2020.

A 5G spectrum licence auction for the 2600MHz, 700MHz and 26-gigahertz ranges was held on Feb 16, 2020, raising a combined 100.52 billion baht. The auction took place shortly before the first wave of the pandemic hit Thailand.

The winning bidders were Advanced Info Service (AIS), through its subsidiary Advanced Wireless Network (AWN); True Move H Universal Communication (TUC); Total

Access Communication (DTAC), through its subsidiary DTAC TriNet; and CAT Telecom and TOT.

The winning bidders are obliged to pay in 10 instalments for the 700MHz licence, seven instalments for 2600MHz and one time for the 26-gigahertz.

During the peak of the pandemic’s first wave, 5G technology was utilised through customised robots for patient care and other healthcare solutions, helping hospitals treating Covid-19 patients.

In 2020, several industrial manufacturers began studying and partnering with major mobile operators for 5G tech solutions on a trial basis, especially in the Eastern Economic Corridor.