The board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) yesterday scrapped its auction plan seeking constructors of a broadband internet network covering 15,732 villages, which was previously set for auction by April.
The move is in line with the resolution of National Digital Economy and Society Committee (NDESC) last month that approved the Digital Economy and Society (DE) Ministry handling the construction task instead of NBTC.
Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of NBTC, said the NDESC assigned the DE Ministry to use the 2.6-billion-baht budget for construction of a network for the 15,732 villages. The amount is the remaining budget from the ministry's construction of a broadband network for 24,700 villages, which was completed in December 2017.
The DE Ministry plans to use 2.4 billion baht to construct the network from March to December this year, with the project estimated to finish by the end of this year.
Previously the government planned an internet broadband network to cover 40,432 villages to eliminate the digital divide in remote areas. The first 24,700 villages were handled by TOT with an investment cost of 10 billion baht.
The NBTC was assigned to handle installation for the remaining 15,732 villages, using its Universal Service Obligation (USO) fund for the investment.
The government wants to provide affordable high-speed internet access to low-income rural households, in compliance with the nation's digital infrastructure development roadmap.
Mr Takorn said NDESC last month assigned NBTC to use its Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund to maintain and subsidise for all 40,432 villages in three categories. NBTC will offer free WiFi service for five years to 3,196 schools and 812 sub-district health-promoting hospitals; it will provide maintenance service for the broadband network for five years; and it will be responsible for the operation cost of USO NET units and the government's community digital centres for five years.
