The election of 11 members for the country’s new telco regulator by the Thai Senate could be the first step for a restart of the country’s 3G spectrum auction.
Members of the new National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) are…
The election of 11 members for the country’s new telco regulator by the Thai Senate could be the first step for a restart of the country’s 3G spectrum auction.
Members of the new National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) are elected for six years on a non-renewable basis, according to local reports. A chairman and two deputy chairmen will be appointed at a later point.
The Bangkok Post explained that the final line-up will be sent to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who will then submit it for royal endorsement.
The new catch-all media regulator, which will replace the current National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), has long been awaited, notably because it will likely allow the 3G spectrum auction in the country to start again within the next few months.
Back in September last year, the Supreme Administrative Court had upheld the suspension of the 3G licence auction, following a request from state-owned telcos CAT and TOT.
They both claimed that the NTC did not have the authority to award licences and that it should be replaced by the NBTC before the auction can start. CAT and TOT also argued that the 3G auction could impact their revenues.
Under existing concessions, private operators pay about 25% to 30% of their revenue to state-owned companies. DTAC, True, and DPC currently have a concession with CAT, while AIS has a concession with TOT to operate 3G services.
An analyst previously told TelecomFinance that “mobile operators want to get new licences because revenue sharing under their existing concessions is, in comparison, much more expensive than 3G licences. On the other hand, CAT and TOT, with the halting of the 3G process, will gain time to find an alternative business plan to continue operating without relying mainly on revenue sharing.”
The NBTC could not be reached for comment before the press deadline.
