The future of Thailand’s 3G network continues to hang in the balance, following allegations that spectrum was inappropriately allocated at last week’s auction.
The country’s finance ministry is calling for a probe into allegations of collusion…
The future of Thailand’s 3G network continues to hang in the balance, following allegations that spectrum was inappropriately allocated at last week’s auction.
The country’s finance ministry is calling for a probe into allegations of collusion between the three mobile carriers who were awarded 3G licences at the auction, according to media reports today.
The finance ministry deputy permanent secretary, Supa Piyajitti, said that the reserve price should have been set at a higher level and that there should have been fewer licences than bidders.
A report by Moody’s today on True Corp, one of the three telcos to win a licence, affirmed that issues surrounding the auction still need to be resolved.
“Completion of the 3G spectrum auction is positive following years of protracted regulatory uncertainty in Thailand,” said Nidhi Dhruv, analyst at Moody’s. “However, uncertainty continues around the auction format and pricing which could be challenged in court. The conclusion of the auction process and award of licenses, which could take up to 90 days, will help alleviate some of the uncertainty regarding True’s 3G strategy.”
Moody’s ratings on True Corp have not been impacted by the spectrum bid.
TelecomFinance reported last week that AIS, DTAC and True Corp bid a total of THB45bn (US$1.4bn) for 45MHz of bandwidth at the auction.
