Bid to rejig allocation criteria

As no bids were made for two of the five satellite orbital slot packages available in the auction on Jan 15, the telecom regulator wants to adjust its slot allocation criteria to ensure they will eventually be used.

The move is also meant to ward off legal problems as the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), based on Section 60 of the constitution, has a duty to maintain the right for the country to use frequencies and satellite orbital slots.

The NBTC on Wednesday agreed in principle to adjust the existing criteria and methods of the satellite orbital slot management plan, which includes rules and procedures for granting the rights to use the orbits.

NBTC commissioner AM Thanapant Raicharoen said the board assigned NBTC’s management to deal with the task, which is expected to be completed in the next six months.

There were no bids for the first and fifth packages in the auction on Jan 15. The first covers the 50.5° East and 51°E orbital slots with a starting price of 374 million baht and the fifth involves the 142°E slot with a starting price of 189 million baht.

Based on the existing rules, an auction is the only method for allocation of the satellite orbital slots.

The right to use these slots could be withdrawn from the country if they are left unused and, if that were to be the case, the NBTC risks violating the constitution, AM Thanapant said.

“The adjustments should include other methods to help allocate orbital slots successfully,” he said.

Alternatives include a so-called beauty contest, in which an interested party is picked based upon its readiness, qualifications and proposals in terms of utilising the slots, he said.

According to AM Thanapant, there were no bids for the two packages because they are not meant to cater to business in Thailand and the operators need to seek customers abroad.

Space Tech Innovation, a subsidiary of SET-listed satellite service provider Thaicom, won the second package, which covers 78.5° E, with a bid of 380 million baht and the third package, which covers the 119.5° E and 120° E slots, with a bid of 417 million baht.

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

He said 78.5° E and 119.5° E were sought by Thaicom as it wanted to continue its satellite business by leveraging the slots.

The firm previously operated the Thaicom 4 satellite on 119.5° E and Thaicom 6 on 78.5° E but ownership of the two satellites was transferred to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) after the firm’s concession expired in September 2021.

The DES Ministry then assigned NT to handle the two satellites until their engineering lifespan expires.

The right to use these slots could be withdrawn from the country if they are left unused. AM THANAPANT RAICHAROEN Commissioner, National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission