The telecom committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday approved the timeline for new auction procedures for both 1800- and 850-megahertz spectrum licences.
Three licences on the 1800MHz spectrum are set to be auctioned on Aug 4, the same date as the cancelled auction, but prospective bidders have to pick up new bid documents during June 26-July 25.
The bid document submission date is July 26.
Meanwhile, one licence on the 850MHz spectrum is set for auction on Aug 10, with prospective bidders able to pick up bid documents between June 29 and July 30.
The bid document submission date is July 31.
Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the NBTC, said the committee's resolution will be submitted as an urgent agenda to the NBTC board for approval on June 25.
The NBTC's telecom committee also needs the third-largest mobile operator Total Access Communication (DTAC) to urgently create awareness among its existing 470,000 users on its 1800- and 850MHz networks before Sept 15, the expiry date of DTAC's concession under CAT Telecom.
The NBTC's latest move is seen as an effort to create a fail-safe against the move to not use a remedy measure for mobile users on DTAC's 1800- and 850MHz networks after Sept 15.
Mr Takorn said the NBTC will discuss a clear resolution with its legal subcommittee to ensure the commission is legally allowed to withhold a remedy measure for DTAC's 1800- and 850MHz networks after Sept 15.
"The NBTC's resolution to not allow a remedy measure for the remaining 470,000 users on DTAC's 1800- and 850MHz bands is not set in stone, as we still have to wait for a final conclusion from the legal subcommittee," he said.
Mr Takorn said the NBTC will send an order to DTAC to have the firm inform all users on the concession networks to migrate to other networks before Sept 15.
The conditions of the 1800- and 850MHz licence spectrum auction will remain unchanged.
Regarding the 1800MHz licences, there are three licences for 30MHz each. The reserve price of each licence is 37.45 billion baht, based on the winning price of the previous 1800MHz licences in 2015.
The new timeline for the 1800MHz auction means all bidders must submit bid documents and place bid guarantees plus bank guarantee reserves for payment default by July 26.
The NBTC will announce qualified bidders on Aug 1, and hold a mock auction on Aug 2-3.
For the 850MHz licence auction, there is only one licence for 10MHz of bandwidth.
The reserve price for the 850MHz licence is 38 billion baht based on the winning price of the previous auction of 900MHz licences in 2015.
