The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is set to draft its third spectrum management roadmap for operations from 2025 to 2030, preparing for new spectrum allocation and the transition from 5.5G to 6G technology.
The draft roadmap is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of next year.
NBTC commissioner Somphop Purivigraipong, who is responsible for telecom business, said the draft would be divided into two phases, covering the 3500 megahertz spectrum range, between 3.3 and 4.0 gigahertz, and the spectrum range of 5.5G to 6G as well as upper-band waves of 6.425GHz to 7.125GHz.
Mr Somphop said the first phase is divided into two categories: the 3.5GHz range for 5G private networks and for mobile phone service in the mass market.
"The roadmap will create a clear picture of spectrum resource management, helping telecom and related industries evaluate their business plans and future investment," he said.
The NBTC office previously talked with representatives of telecom operators, telecom equipment vendors, the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand and the Federation of Thai Industries regarding its spectrum management planning.
The regulator also discussed the matter with the management of mid-sized telecom vendors.
Mr Somphop said the NBTC's study team is considering defining a portion of the 3.5GHz range in accordance with real demand, targeting promotion of the 5G private network for vertical industries.
The most interesting range is between 3.3-3.8GHz, as it is the most prepared ecosystem for private sector adoption, he said.
According to the general principle, the regulator should allocate the bandwidth mainly for small to medium-sized vendors or enterprises in industrial estates, regardless of whether they will collaborate to deploy solutions on the 5G private network to serve their operations.
The allocation should not be carried out via an auction, which would see bidders pay a hefty sum for the spectrum bands, said Mr Somphop. The high cost for spectrum investment would create a barrier to promoting a 5G private network, he said.
Mr Somphop said earlier the discussions with other organisations raised several interesting options for the allocation. One option is the revenue-sharing model, where licensees are given a grace period to use the spectrum and start paying a licence fee on a revenue-sharing basis to the NBTC after the grace period expires, or when they reach the break-even point for operations that deploy 5G private network solutions.
However, the NBTC is unable to prohibit major mobile operators from participating in the allocation process, even if this portion is mainly supposed to be for an industry 5G private network, he said.
The NBTC is slated to hold a focus group meeting to discuss the 3.5GHz band with the private sector in the second quarter of 2024. The regulator originally planned to auction a portion of this band by the end of 2024.
For the 3.5GHz range meant for the mass mobile market, Mr Somphop said the NBTC office held talks with the two major telecom operators and plans to set up a panel to analyse supply and demand in the market by the first quarter of 2024.
He said the regulator expects to allocate the range between 3.3-3.6GHz for mobile service in the mass market by 2026 or 2027.
A portion of the range between 3.7-4.0GHz would be considered in future, ending the allocation of the 3.3-3.6GHz range, said Mr Somphop.
"A portion of the 3.7-4.0GHz range may be set for allocation by 2030," he said.
Regarding the shift from 5.5G to 6G and the upper band, Mr Somphop said the NBTC office has talked with major vendors such as Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei on the development plan. The spectrum allocation for 6G and the upper band may be held by 2030, he said.
Mr Somphop said the regulator should minimise spectrum costs for the portion of 3.5GHz to be allocated for 5G private networks because it would facilitate its adoption and create benefits for the country.
The past few years private mobile operators have spent large amounts at spectrum licence auctions and invested heavily in networks.