NDESC allots B3bn for 10GB
Data use support for work amid pandemic
The National Digital Economy and Society Committee (NDESC) resolved yesterday to allow the telecom regulator to divert 3 billion baht from its funding to support a free 10-gigabyte data usage scheme for mobile users as well as upgrade internet speeds for people working from home during the pandemic.
The sum will be drawn from the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research Fund (BTRF).
Under the resolution, the free 10GB would be given to mobile subscribers under both prepaid and postpaid systems, from April 10-May 10.
Some 30 million mobile users are expected to benefit from the assistance. Users can only receive assistance from the scheme once, regardless of how many mobile subscriptions they have.
Subscriptions under corporate names are not eligible for the assistance as the government is prioritising helping individuals.
For the fixed broadband service, subscribers will have their packages upgraded to a better package level with internet speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps). Some 2 million household subscribers would benefit from this assistance.
The NDESC meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications
Commission (NBTC) offices, said Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta.
The decision to use money in the BTRF differs from the NBTC’s earlier plan to rely on 5G spectrum licence payments and Universal Service Obligation fees for the assistance.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said the money drawn from the spectrum licence payment cannot be used for the assistance as the sum is part of the government’s fiscal budget.
“If we use money from the licence payment for the assistance, we may have to wait for the 2021 annual budget, which would be too late,” said Mr Takorn.
By changing the money source, 3 billion baht from the BTRF would mean the assistance would be given for only for 30 days initially.
This plan differs from the NBTC’s earlier one to provide 10GB of data usage free per month over the course of three months, concluding at the end of June.
Yesterday the NBTC board held a meeting to look into the NDESC resolution and approved it, Mr Takorn said.
The NBTC will inform its board of the approval and table it before the cabinet meeting for acknowledgement today.
Mr Takorn said people are allowed to apply for the assistance through mobile operators from April 2-9 and the assistance will be provided from April 10.