Thailand on Monday revealed that it will auction off 900 MHz and 1800 MHz spectrum for 4G services in the last two months of the year – later than previously reported – and said it aims to raise more than 61 billion baht (€1.7 billion) from the process.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) expects to conduct the 1800 MHz frequency sale on 11 November, it said in a statement on its Website. Winners will receive their licences in December.
The 900 MHz auction is slated for 15 December with the winners due to be announced by the end of the month and licences handed over in January 2016.
In a separate document, the NBTC confirmed it will auction off two 1800 MHz licences, both offering 12.5 MHz of spectrum. There will also be two 900 MHz licences on offer, one with 10 MHz of spectrum and the other 7.5 MHz.
That document, in Thai, suggests that the 1800 MHz licences carry a reserve price of THB11.6 billion each, while the first 900 MHz licence will start at THB11.26 billion and the second at THB8.45 billion, for a total of THB42.91 billion (€1.2 billion).
Those prices are 70% of what the government believes the value of the spectrum to be, the NBTC said. That would put the value of spectrum at THB61.29 billion (€1.7 billion).
However, reports from Reuters and the local press state that the higher figure will in fact serve as the reserve price.
The figures will doubtless become clear when the state gets the auction process underway this summer.
Thailand’s plans to sell 4G spectrum were disrupted by the military coup in April last year; the new government put the process on hold. Since then there has been much talk of the process restarting and earlier this month the Bangkok Post reported that the 4G auction would take place within five months, that is, by late August.
The country’s telcos doubtless hope that there will be no further delays in the process.
