NCPO suspends 4G spectrum auction

[webfact]

Military junta suspends 4G spectrum auction



BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on Friday issued an order suspending the planned auction of the fourth generation or 4G mobile phone spectrum for one year.

It attributed smooth and orderly auction, protection of existing customers as reasons for the one-year suspension.

In the 94th Order announced today, the NCPO orders the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to hold the spectrum auction for one year, beginning today, and to supervise that the existing customers will continue using services without interruption in case the existing mobile phone concessions and service licences of the mobile operators expire.

During the no-auction period, the NBTC is tasked to amend all relevant legislations, regulations and orders regarding the spectrum auction so as to enable that the new auction will be transparent, fair, and verifiable, and bring the highest benefit to the public and the country.

Besides it will ensure that the auction correspond with the budget spending policy of the state and with regard to national security and public interest.

The planned 4G-spectrum auction has earlier been temporarily suspended by the junta.

The NBTC had planned to auction two licences for the 1800-megahertz spectrum next month and hold another auction for the 900-MHz spectrum in November.

The 1800 MHz concession granted to DTAC expired on September 15, 2013. However, the NBTC has implemented customer protection measures via forcing operators to extend their services on the expired 1800 MHz concession by one year, before changing the system into a licence scheme, a first in Thailand.

Under the customer protection conditions, True Move and DPC, an affiliate of AIS, are also forced to provide service to existing subscribers for one year, in which expenses from operations can be deducted from operations but the remaining profit will be forwarded to the government.

According to the expired 1800 MHz concession contract, the two operators cannot continue to service subscribers, as NBTC needs to allot the 1800 MHz concession in preparations for the new 4G auction.

However, if NBTC does not allow the operators to extend their servicing period for 1 year, more than 18.3 subscribers, 18.2 from True Move and 80,000 under DPC’s Digital GSM 1800 brand will be affected.

Hence, NBTC decided to implement the temporary customer protection service for 1 year, which should allow operators to smooth the shift to a permit system and to maintain the quality of service and price.

AIS earlier said the auction for fourth-generation (4G) licences must proceed as soon as possible to avoid losing ground to other countries.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/military-junta-suspends-4g-spectrum-auction/


-- Thai PBS 2014-07-18

[chotthee]

4G too high tech for Thai anyway. No Thai needs it.

Last I heard the grapes are really sour.

[laocowboy2]

Thailand - hub of backwardness. Even 3G hardly works in many places, especially in the NE.

Worth Googling to see which countries do have 4G - the list includes Cambodia, Malaysia and the Philippines - as well as such advanced places as Bangladesh and Pakistan.

[Dah fahrang]

Personally euphoric about this.

I'm a victim of forced migration from 2G to 3G. Having called to complain to my provider AIS, and beg to be returned to 2G, I'm told that the 2G spectrum will be closed down in the near future. A case of <deleted> you, Jack. You live in the sticks where there's hardly a reliable signal. That's your problem.

So, calls continue to not connect, or drop halfway through. My phone searches and switches from 3G to 2G on a regular basis.

When I see 4 bars of signal strength, I know I'm back on the trusted 2G network. When I get 1 bar, or no bars, I know that the phone has switched to the useless (in my area) 3G network.

So, my case, (or rather, on behalf of the hidden millions like me), has been taken up by the junta. Positive move. Thank you, junta.

PS other providers fare much worse where I live. Can't even get any signal - 2G or 3G with True.

[Payboy]

....to avoid losing ground to other countries....

Ground = Face, yes?

[fobuff]

Main reason... we forgot about this one and we have to control (sic) this as everything else for our mutual benefit