NBTC affirms 4G auction will take place even if only AIS shows up

[webfact]

National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission affirms 4G auction will take place even if only AIS shows up

BANGKOK, 17 May 2016 (NNT) - The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has indicated that the auction for the 900 MHz frequency for 4G mobile network will be held on May 27, regardless of the number of bidders.

On May 16, the Board of Directors of True Corporation has resolved not to attend the 4G auction.

NBTC Commissioner Supinya Klangnarong said despite AIS potentially being the only party to attend the event, the auction will still take place according to regular procedures. However, should AIS decide not to attend, the auction will then be postponed to next year, effectively delaying the country from frequency technology.

Should AIS be the only party to attend the upcoming auction event, it will be able to secure the asking price by Jasmine International at 75.654 billion baht.

-- NNT 2016-05-17

[Reigntax]

Someone needs to explain to the NBTC what an auction is, when it is beneficial and when you dont auction.

Its fairly obvious to most, obviously not!

[casualbiker]

AIS actually offered to take over Jasmine's bid 4 weeks ago.. The greedy bastards at NBTC decided not to accept.. I always thought that's how these auctions worked. If a bidder couldn't pay then it goes the the third bidder..

[Pib]

I expect the way the bidding policies/rules were written if they don't have another auction then they open themselves up to law suits even from those past bidders who don't plan to bid this time. And I expect the bidders who came in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc., lost the funding line they had arranged with banks once JAS won the bid and would need time to line-up the funding up again...time made available by the next bidding to be held a couple months later after JAS defaulted.

[IsaanUSA]

So the other companies don't want to bid because they don't need/want the 900MHz band?

[Pib]

I know True just announced they will not be bidding as they say they will not participate in the re-auction as it had already obtained a very comprehensive spectrum portfolio with sufficient large bandwidth of 55 MHz. And DTAC said a few weeks ago they will not participate in the rebidding. Sounds like both True and DTAC are thankful they didn't win the bid...maybe feel even they got carried away with their bids.

[Estrada]

I believe that AIS will not bid. This will mean that a new auction will be held in 12months time. Meanwhile AIS will be given yet more time to migrate their 2G customers. It is also possible that in the event of a failure to get any bidders taking part in the auction, True and AIS hope that they could negotiate with NBTC a reduction in the starting bid price and for True's previous bid price to be reduced to match AIS's new reduced bid price.