Suvarnabhumi airport is on track to experience the first commercial 5G in Thailand by May, according to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
The move is part of the initial plan for the smart airport project.
The plan was addressed as the NBTC and Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) signed a memorandum of understanding on 5G technical and service cooperation yesterday.
The event was witnessed by Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and NBTC chairman Sukit Khamasundara.
The deal will also foster collaboration between related parties in the telecom and aviation industries, including the development of smart airport ecosystems and smart logistics.
The NBTC will auction off four spectrum ranges for the 5G licence auctions scheduled for Feb 16: 700MHz, 1800MHz, 2600MHz and 26GHz.
The auction is expected to generate 54 billion baht for the state.
According to the NBTC, bidders will be urged to consider rolling out the 5G network at the airport as a first priority, after which the ultra-fast wireless broadband service will be adopted in the Eastern Economic Corridor to cater to innovation.
NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith said importation of 5G-related equipment and the network roll-out could come as soon as March and the initial phase of 5G adoption could begin in May.
"Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang international airports will serve as a flagship and national gateway of 5G tech adoption in Thailand, where visitors will experience ultra-fast wireless broadband service once they arrive," Mr Takorn said.
After that, 5G adoption could continue at four other airports operated by AoT when the right time for the ecosystem comes, he said.
According to Mr Takorn, several 5G use cases can be expected in airport operations, including facial recognition technology, smart security, smart logistics, smart healthcare services and smart transport.