Thailand To Hold Long-Awaited 3G Auction Next Week

[Lite Beer]

Thailand to hold long-awaited 3G auction next week

BANGKOK, Oct 9, 2012 (AFP) - After years of delays, Thailand's top three mobile telephone operators will bid next week for licences to provide third-generation (3G) services in the kingdom, regulators said Tuesday.

A business dispute meant that as other nations move to introduce faster 4G technology, Thailand has yet to roll out a proper 3G service, more than a decade after it was first launched in Japan.

Leading telecom firms Advanced Info Service, Total Access Communication (Dtac) and True Move have qualified to bid at a 3G licence auction on October 16, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission announced.

A total of 45 megahertz of bandwidth will be on offer, with a minimum price of 4.5 billion baht ($147 million) for each five megahertz block.

In 2010 a Thai court halted a 3G licence auction at the last minute after state-owned telecoms giant CAT argued that the then-regulator, the National Telecommunications Commission, had no authority to conduct the bidding.

The slow pace of progress has frustrated smartphone users.

"I bought my iPhone partly because I wanted to have 3G as I like checking emails and surfing the Internet," said 37-year-old assistant manager Siwaporn Bunthuwanich. "Other countries are more advanced but we're still left behind.

The signal is not even stable yet. It makes me wonder whether we're a developing or undeveloped country," she said.

One mobile operator, Dtac, is already looking further ahead by starting a technical trial of 4G in part of Bangkok.

It expects to complete a nationwide network update by the end of 2012 to prepare for an eventual official launch.

-- ©Copyright AFP 2012-10-09 | AFP News Sponsor

Published with written approval from AFP.

[whybother]

Unless another court decision stops it again ...

[asiawatcher]

So we 'may' finally get 3G when the rest of the world has already 4G. And imagine, having to pay a 147M USD. Gee I wonder for the 5 blocks (half a billion USD), here the money will go and into what infrastructure?

[ricku]

Wow! They are still at it.

Go go Thailand! At this rate you'll be able to enjoy 4G by year 2025. (In Bangkok!!)

[webfact]

Three operators qualified for 3G bid Tuesday

BANGKOK, Oct 10 – Thailand’s three major mobile operators were today named qualified bidders for next Tuesday’s auction of third-generation (3G) wireless licences, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced.

The three private operators are Advanced Info Service (AIS), DTAC and True Move.

NBTC deputy chairman Settapong Malisuwan said the minimum auction price of Bt4.5 billion for the 2100 megahertz bandwidth to use with the 3G technology was suitable, adding that it has yet to be seen next week if the bidding competition will be intense.

NBTC commissioner Prasert Silpipat said the auction will be considered successful even if the bid winner offers the same or slightly higher than the fixed minimum price.

It will be a setback for Thailand if the 3G auction fails to take place as telecommunication infrastructure is vital to the country’s economic and social development given the launch of ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

“Dissidents have the right to petition against the auction. We assure that the auction has been carefully planned with transparency. It’s impossible that 65 million people agree with (all) regulations set by the NBTC,” he said.

Col Settapong said after Tuesday’s auction, the NBTC will issue the country’s first 3G licences and winning operators are expected to launch full services in March.

It should be expanded nationwide by 2015, he added. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-10-10

[Rionoir]

"'It makes me wonder whether we're a developing or undeveloped country,' she said."

Really? It took this to make her wonder that?

[hellodolly]

I wonder what the price of admission and who it went to for

"- After years of delays, Thailand's top three mobile telephone operators will bid next week for licences to provide third-generation (3G) services in the kingdom, regulators said Tuesday."

[whybother]

An independent telecom academic, Anuparp Thiralarp, has petitioned the Constitution Court to issue an injunction halting the planned 3G auction by the NBTC. /BKK Post

Thailand To Hold Long-Awaited 3G Auction Next Week ... Maybe.

[samjaidee]

I live in Vietnam now so I'm a bit out of touch with Thailand. Does that mean you guys have to be in a wireless zone to get internet on your smart phone? We've got 3.5G already in Vietnam. I was in Cambodia in July and they've got 3G there too. Thailand seems to be in a state of regression not progression.

[webfact]

related topic

Academic seeks Administrative Court injunction to suspend 3G bids: Thailand

Full story: http://www.thaivisa....-bids-thailand/

[whybother]

I live in Vietnam now so I'm a bit out of touch with Thailand. Does that mean you guys have to be in a wireless zone to get internet on your smart phone? We've got 3.5G already in Vietnam. I was in Cambodia in July and they've got 3G there too. Thailand seems to be in a state of regression not progression.

Edge (2.5G?) is available (basically) everywhere and there is some 3G already available on "trial" bandwidths, but this auction will see a much wider rollout of 3G bandwidth.

Edited October 10, 2012 by whybother

[thaicbr]

I live in Vietnam now so I'm a bit out of touch with Thailand. Does that mean you guys have to be in a wireless zone to get internet on your smart phone? We've got 3.5G already in Vietnam. I was in Cambodia in July and they've got 3G there too. Thailand seems to be in a state of regression not progression.

Edge (2.5G?) is available (basically) everywhere and there is some 3G already available on "trial" bandwidths, but this auction will see a much wider rollout of 3G bandwidth.

If it ever happens.

sent from my ..................#

[Samedeepwaterasyou]

I live in Vietnam now so I'm a bit out of touch with Thailand. Does that mean you guys have to be in a wireless zone to get internet on your smart phone? We've got 3.5G already in Vietnam. I was in Cambodia in July and they've got 3G there too. Thailand seems to be in a state of regression not progression.

Edge (2.5G?) is available (basically) everywhere and there is some 3G already available on "trial" bandwidths, but this auction will see a much wider rollout of 3G bandwidth.

Edge is rubbish .

[whybother]

I live in Vietnam now so I'm a bit out of touch with Thailand. Does that mean you guys have to be in a wireless zone to get internet on your smart phone? We've got 3.5G already in Vietnam. I was in Cambodia in July and they've got 3G there too. Thailand seems to be in a state of regression not progression.

Edge (2.5G?) is available (basically) everywhere and there is some 3G already available on "trial" bandwidths, but this auction will see a much wider rollout of 3G bandwidth.

Edge is rubbish .

It's better than nothing.

[tollgate]

So is the dtac 3G I have at the moment not proper 3G?

[thaicbr]

So is the dtac 3G I have at the moment not proper 3G?

Not really. Its classified as a trial network on 850mhz. Most 3g is on 2100mhz.

sent from my ..................#

[Mrjlh]

While the "rest of the world" is installing 4G! ...... Will they ever catch up? Bicker bicker bicker.....Yawn!

[hhiser]

555+ Thailand, Laos already has a working 3G network and are setting up a 4G LE network as we type.

[FarangTalk]

555+ Thailand, Laos already has a working 3G network and are setting up a 4G LE network as we type.

As is Cambodia.

[ricku]

I live in Vietnam now so I'm a bit out of touch with Thailand. Does that mean you guys have to be in a wireless zone to get internet on your smart phone? We've got 3.5G already in Vietnam. I was in Cambodia in July and they've got 3G there too. Thailand seems to be in a state of regression not progression.

Edge (2.5G?) is available (basically) everywhere and there is some 3G already available on "trial" bandwidths, but this auction will see a much wider rollout of 3G bandwidth.

Edge is rubbish .

Edge is quite fast in Sweden where I'm from, but yes, here in Thailand it is very much rubbish.

[Payboy]

Edge is rubbish .

Edge is quite fast in Sweden where I'm from, but yes, here in Thailand it is very much rubbish.

Which means we can expect the same with 3G here.

[Pdiddy]

Can't buy shares but I can control the communications