The chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) wants the board to consider the draft of the new organisational management structure at its next meeting after a majority of the board urged the regulator for a year to implement the new structure, says NBTC commissioner AM Thanapant Raicharoen.
The new structure is designed to accommodate the existing board structure, which reflects the convergence of telecom and broadcasting technologies.
The structure also aims to promote entrepreneurs, protect consumers amid a changing business ecosystem and cater to NBTC frequency management in line with the principles of the International Telecommunication Union.
AM Thanapant, who led a study of the new structure, said a delay in implementing it could affect related industries and the regulator's operating efficiency.
"The draft of the new management structure has been listed on the agenda for the board's consideration for six months, but has yet to be considered," he said.
The existing NBTC board started its six-year term in April 2022.
It comprises seven commissioners who were recruited under the amended NBTC Act which based their appointment on the telecom-broadcasting technology concept.
The NBTC led by the chairman also declared its policy and roadmap in the House of Representatives last year and told the House that one important aspect of the roadmap is the new organisational structure.
AM Thanapant explained that the amended NBTC Act does not specify that each of the seven qualified candidates for NBTC commissioner posts must come from seven specific backgrounds.
The existing seven commissioners do not clearly separate their duties into telecom and broadcasting. Each will be assigned to take charge of shaping the regulatory framework in line with their work experience and qualifications.
This is unlike the previous law which determined the recruitment of 11 commissioners, of which five must form a telecom committee, another five the broadcasting committee while the final one was the board chairman.
Each of the two committees was chaired by the NBTC's deputy chairman. Both were part of the whole NBTC board. They worked separately and made resolutions before passing the resolutions to the NBTC board for approval.
AM Thanapant said the draft of the new structure features eight operational divisions, including policy and planning, academic, licensing, entrepreneur promotion and protection, legal and administrative, regional operations, organisation management, and supporting divisions.
The existing structure comprises five divisions of telecom, broadcasting, regional operation, strategy, and academic. All five divisions are led by NBTC deputy secretaries-general.
AM Thanapant said the new structure was drafted on the basis of convergence for a more practical workflow that comes with the same budget for salaries and personnel.
There would be several adjustments when the new structure is implemented and this may affect deputy secretary-general posts in divisions. The number of deputy secretary-general posts could increase, while the number of operating units would be reduced.