The three companies that submitted envelopes to join the satellite orbital slot auction slated for Jan 15 have preliminarily passed qualification checks by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) with their names set to be officially approved by the telecom regulator on Tuesday, according to a source at the agency's board.
The trio comprise Space Tech Innovation, a subsidiary of SET-listed satellite service provider Thaicom; Prompt Technical Services, an electrical installation service provider registered in 2000; and telecom state enterprise National Telecom (NT).
The NBTC board is set to approve the participation of the three companies in the auction at its meeting on Tuesday, said the source, who requested anonymity.
The source said the board previously scheduled to approve the participation of the three firms in the auction on Monday, but the details of such a resolution had not yet been completed in time.
Some sentences of the resolution required adjustment to avoid legal problems so it would be voted for approval unanimously, the source said.
The auction has been criticised by some groups of leading to the monopoly in the telecom industry. The key opponents include Warong Dechgitvigrom, leader of The Thai Pakdee (Loyal Thai) party.
The opponents converged in front of the NBTC office on Friday to oppose the auction, saying the satellite orbital slots should be direclty handled by NT, which is a state enterprise.
The NBTC management will report the opposition element to the board for acknowledgement, the source said.
The source added the NBTC office has sent an explanation letter to the Thai Pakdee party that the regulator conducts the auction in line with the telecom business management master plan and frequency management plan.
The auction offers five slot packages, covering 50.5° East and 51° E with a starting price of 374 million baht; 78.5° E with a starting price of 360 million; 119.5° E and 120° E with a starting price of 397 million; 126° E with a starting price of 8 million; and 142° E with a starting price of 189 million.
A mock auction will be held on one day ahead of the auction date.