New Thai Regulator Eyes 3G Auctions By Year-End

[Crushdepth]

Commissioner Natee Sokonrat of the newly-proposed National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) said yesterday that the body is in the process of developing a 3G frequency licensing plan that will be completed by May. A new law that will help establish the NBTC, an independent body to supervise Thailand's telecoms and broadcasting sectors, was enacted in December last year.

Full article.

[gotlost]

Just more official BS to delay Thailand from having 3G.

[lomatopo]

Just when I think I am caught up on the latest 3G deployment news I realize I am woefully out of date, and still confused.

http://www.telecomasia.net/content/3g-still-hold-thailand?page=0,0

Thailand has finally ratified the creation of a new telecoms regulator, but its 3G auction isn’t going anywhere fast, and this new regulator only raises more uncertainty for private operators.

In December 2010, the Frequency Allocation Bill became law, allowing for the establishment of the country’s unified regulator, the National Broadcasting and Telecoms Commission (NBTC).

Under the act, the NBTC has a dual purpose: to act in the “public interest”, but also to comply with “government policy”. The NBTC is expected to be more focused on politics, and less focused on developing a level playing ground between the private and government-backed operators, TOT and CAT Telecom, than its predecessor, the National Telecommunications Commission.

...

However, we don’t expect the 3G situation to be resolved for a couple of years since the appointment of the NBTC’s influential 11 commissioners is likely to be controversial and take the full mandated seven months to resolve, with the final decision likely to be made by cabinet.

After that, the NBTC has one year to draw up a frequency master-plan. Ovum does not expect the auction to take place until some time in 2H12 or possibly even in 2013. Thailand’s 3G auction delay is leaving it lagging behind the rest of Asia.

And then I saw this article...

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Money/Story/STIStory_629283.html

Jan 28, 2011

Samart group wins bid to install Thai 3G network

BANGKOK - A GROUP led by Samart Corp won a tender on Friday to install a third-generation wireless broadband network in Thailand for state-owned TOT Plc, bidding 16.3 billion baht (S$677 million) for the contract.

The consortium, which includes China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, Loxley Pcl and Nokia Siemens Networks, beat a bid of 16.8 billion baht from a rival consortium, Samart President Watchai Vilailuck told reporters.

'Our net profit should grow more than 60 per cent now that we've got this project ... We expect to earn 11 billion baht revenue from the project as we own 65 per cent of the consortium,' Mr Watchai said.

This thread from the News sub-forum details subsequent TOT/Smart fall-out.

[gotlost]

and the rest of the world has 4G.