The national telecom regulator has insisted the spectrum auction to provide fourth-generation (4G) mobile broadband service will go ahead as planned without violating the draft bills recently endorsed by the cabinet.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) initially planned to put up for auction 42.5 MHz of spectrum for 4G comprising 25 MHz of the 1800-MHz spectrum and 17.5 MHz of the 900-MHz spectrum in August and November, respectively. In July the junta ordered it to suspend the auction for a year and amend several impractical sections of the Frequency Allocation Act first.
However, whether the NBTC will have the authority to manage the 4G auction process or manage spectrum in the future is still unclear, said Col Settapong Malisuwan, NBTC vice-chairman.
The cabinet on Tuesday approved eight draft bills related to the digital economy in a drive to restructure the Information and Communication Technology Ministry and related agencies to facilitate its digital economy development plan.
Under the NBTC bill, one of the eight drafts, the regulator would come under the supervision of the Digital Economy Policy Committee and allocate 50% of its licence fees to the digital economy development fund.
The NBTC would be downgraded to overseeing the allocation of spectra for public and industrial benefits and governing competition in the telecom and broadcasting industries.
Col Settapong said the NBTC would ask the National Council for Peace and Order next week if it could start proceeding with the 4G auction process, including revising all the details of the auction design. This process would take six months to complete.
The NBTC bill now passes to the Council of State before submission to the National Legislative Assembly for approval. If approved, the bill would become effective in April.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said the bill would affect NBTC's authority on spectrum management and fund management. It would also scrap the NBTC's telecom committee and broadcast committee, but not the NBTC board.
However, Mr Takorn said the NBTC draft bill allowed the planned 4G spectrum auction to move ahead.
ICT Minister Pornchai Rujiprapa said the NBTC could prepare for the 4G auction process during the formation of the Digital Economy Committee, which is expected to be established by April.