NBTC, DES Ministry to discuss security

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) plans to hold talks with the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry to allocate some satellite orbital slots for use specifically for the country’s security.

The move is in line with a resolution made by both the National Space Policy Commission and National Digital Economy and Society Commission, which assigned state enterprise National Telecom (NT) to pursue the national satellite development policy and security objectives.

AM Thanapant Raicharoen, an NBTC commissioner, said the agency is preparing to talk with the DES Ministry regarding the allocation of some specific satellite orbital slots for national security tasks.

Two options have been raised about the move.

First, he said, NT may have to ask the NBTC to make a new filing for the targeted slots, which requires cooperation from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialised agency for information and communication technologies.

The procedure may take about one or two years, he said.

The NBTC is authorised by law to serve as the sole agency to govern related satellite businesses in the country, including the role of satellite orbital slot arrangement with the ITU.

Another option is that the DES may have to consider slots that the country already has in terms of having the utilisation rights, AM Thanapant said.

On Jan 15, the NBTC held the country’s first auction of five satellite orbital slot packages.

Space Tech Innovation, a subsidiary of SET-listed satellite service provider Thaicom, won the second package with a price of 380 million baht and the third package with a price of 417 million baht.

NT secured the fourth package for 9 million baht, which covers the 126° East slot.

“The 126° East slot will enable NT to strengthen its satellite service business in terms of technology and human resources, which can help promote national space affairs and maintain the satellite orbital orbit for the country,” said NT president Col Sanphachai Huvanandana.

NT has established a satellite and network business unit to handle satellite tasks, including management, sales support, satellite communication services as well as satellite gateways and ground stations, he said.

The move is meant to cater to both low-Earth orbit and geostationary orbit satellite businesses, Col Sanphachai said.