TOT labour union sues members of NBTC in dispute over 900MHz

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TOT labour union sues members of NBTC in dispute over 900MHz
USANEE MONGKOLPORN
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- TOT'S LABOUR union yesterday submitted a legal complaint against the members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and its secretary-general to defend the state agency's right to continue using the 900-megahertz spectrum.

The lawsuit names 24 persons, of whom 11 are NBTC commissioners and seven are former members of the now-defunct National Telecommunications Commission.

According to a union representative, it takes the view that TOT could keep the 900MHz spectrum until 2025. Next week it will ask for a court injunction to suspend NBTC's auction of 900MHz licences scheduled for December 15.

The union will also asked the court to make a final ruling on the date TOT's rights to the spectrum should end. The choices are August 3, 2025, when its licence under the NBTC will expire, and September 30, 2015, when the 900MHz concession it granted to Advanced Info Service (AIS) expired.

If the court rules that TOT's right to use the spectrum will not end until 2025, it should order the watchdog to compensate TOT for the period it was not able to use the spectrum, from September 30 until the date of the court ruling.

The union has taken these legal actions as the TOT board has declined to do so.

The NBTC plans to auction two 900MHz licences on December 15 and two 1,800MHz licences on November 11.

The NBTC reclaimed the 900MHz spectrum from TOT after the AIS concession expired at the end of September.

Meanwhile, CAT's acting chief executive officer, Colonel Sanpachai Huvanandana, said his agency and the NBTC would meet with Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam today to seek a way out of its problem regarding the 1,800MHz spectrum.

Upgrade sought

CAT wants the NBTC to permit it to upgrade its idle 20MHz of bandwidth on that spectrum to provide fourth-generation wireless broadband service. It requested this several months ago but the NBTC telecom committee has yet to look into the matter.

If the talks fail to bear a satisfactory result, CAT will file a lawsuit at the Central Administrative Court after the auction of 1,800MHz licences on November 11 that the auction of 1800MHz affect its right to continue using 1800MHz.

CAT has granted 50MHz of the 1,800MHz spectrum to Total Access Communication (DTAC), of which only half is being used. CAT wants to use the 20MHz of the idle portion to provide 4G service.

CAT in 2013 filed a legal complaint against the NBTC plan to auction licences on the 1,800MHz spectrum, which was used by TrueMove and Digital Phone Co under a CAT concession that expired in September 2013.

Sanpachai said CAT would not survive with only the 850MHz spectrum at its disposal. If CAT is allowed to use the idle 20MHz for 4G, it will be able to survive.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/TOT-labour-union-sues-members-of-NBTC-in-dispute-o-30272280.html


-- The Nation 2015-11-05

[yellowboat]

In civilized countries, part of the 900MHz spectrum is used for license free operation for fun and experimentation. The article looks to a discussion among the less civilized.