Despite failing to pay for a 900-megahertz licence from the 2015 4G auction, JAS Mobile Broadband says it will consider joining future bids for fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband.
According to JAS chief executive Pete Bodharamik, the conditions for the 5G auction must be based on reasonable valuation, not on the previous auction's winning prices, which he said were too high.
"Spectrum licences for 5G in the future should not be high priced, as it will create too much financial burden on operators trying to promote adoption of machine-to-machine connectivity in the mass market," Mr Pete said.
Meanwhile, the telecom regulator said last week that new players should enter the 5G ecosystem in order to create healthy competition in the telecom industry and alternatives for digital-driven services.
Mr Pete said JAS will join the 5G licence auction if the conditions are more attractive.
"5G could help create added value to the existing business of Jasmine Group," he said.
JAS is the second-largest fixed broadband service in the country, providing nationwide service via fibre-optic cable. The group also operates a variety of businesses related to digital services.
JAS subsidiary Mono Group is transforming itself into a total online solution with social media management for entertainment under the 2019 roadmap.
"We [Jasmine Group] have business strength through hard infrastructure such as the fibre-optic network and soft infra through our variety of content, as well as digital channels and platforms of entertainment," Mr Pete said.
In 2015, JAS won a licence at the 900MHz auction for the winning price of 75.65 billion baht. It later defaulted on the first licence payment due in March 2016.
Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said the NBTC has hatched an idea to auction low bands such as the 700MHz and 2600MHz spectra and stipulate that the winners of those bids would be given other slots in higher bands such as the 3500-3800MHz and 23-28GHz ranges.
Mr Takorn said the lower bands serve as major infrastructure for data traffic, technically called "coverage bands", while the high ranges, or "capacity bands", require more network density for efficient communications and are fit to serve heavy data transmission.
For the 3500-3800MHz range now partly used by satellite provider Thaicom, the NBTC is considering a recall of a combined 360MHz of bandwidth.
The regulator is also mulling a recall of bandwidth on the 23-28GHz range, also partly used by Thaicom.
