Thailand to Auction 1800 MHz Spectrum on Aug 4; DTAC Skeptical
Bangkok. Thai regulators will auction the 1800-megahertz spectrum on Aug. 4 after several delays, a senior official said on Wednesday (25/04), but the operator that currently holds the spectrum's licence raised concerns about the auction.
Total Access Communication (DTAC), Thailand's third-ranked mobile operator whose concession will expire in September, said the auction would damage the industry.
The auction terms will create "artificial spectrum scarcity," putting the industry at risk, DTAC chief executive Lars Norling said in a statement.
Three, 15-year 15-MHz licences under the 1800 Mhz spectrum will be up for auction, each with a reserve price of 37.5 billion baht ($1.19 billion), said Takorn Tantasith, acting secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
But DTAC favored auctions of 5-MHz spectrum as opposed to 15-MHz and resetting reserve prices.
DTAC said it would submit a readiness plan to the NBTC ahead of the auction, to show that it is willing to bid and protect its customers.
DTAC earlier this week said it did not expect service interruption from the auction timeline.
Norway's Telenor Group owns 43 percent of DTAC.
Reuters
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