Bangkok:- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha vowed Tuesday to allow the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to hold 4G service bidding within this year.

“Don’t worry. It will definitely happen this year,” Prayut said.

But he said his government would wait a new digital ministry to be set up to implement the digital economy policy first before the 4G bidding would take place.

He said the new digital economy would have to be set up first because the ministry would have to take charge of integrating all IT infrastructures of the TOT Plc, CAT Telecom Plc as well as those of private concessionaires for joint developments for public interest.

He said any firm would be welcomed to join the bidding if it is qualified and his government would have no conflict of interest in the 4G bidding.

After the National Council for Peace and Order seized power on May 22 last year, the NCPO, issued an order to indefinitely postpone the 4G bidding by the NBTC.

However, existing mobile phone operators have already installed and set up 4G networks, using their concessions earned from two state firms, the CAT Telecom and TOT.

The current mobile phone operators have repeatedly called on the junta to allow the bidding of 4G service to take place so that they could officially launch 4G services and roll out 4G packages.

Their calls have been backed by several agencies, including Thailand Development Research Institute.

TDRI Somkiat Tangkitvanich said the Prayut, who is also the NCPO chief, should rescind the order that delayed the 4G bidding and should tell the NBTC to hold the bidding as soon as possible because Thais are now losing opportunity to have access to latest technologies.

“Don’t worry. It will definitely happen this year,” Prayut said.

Why would we worry?

4g auction will happen.

Elections will happen.

Lottery fix will happen.

Nothing will happen.

Why is it so hard to sell the rights of something someone else invented?

There is not even edge coverage everywhere, there is still no 3G coverage nationwide, so please learn to walk before you start running.

Promises, promises, words/words, but no or very little action. Sorry.... but many things said here (Thailand) are just ??? blabble.