NTC, govt agree on 3G auction, concession termination plans

Thailand's National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and the finance ministry have reached an informal agreement to support each other's plans for 3G spectrum licensing and the termination of concessions. The parties have agreed that the NTC should go ahead with its plan to auction 3G licences in September, the Nation reports citing an unnamed source. The regulator will, in turn, support the government's plan to terminate 2G concession agreements to move to a licensing scheme instead. The finance ministry will talk to the concession holders and ask for their support of the plan and will also examine the legality of its plan. Furthermore, the cabinet has approved the council of economic ministers' proposal to establish a joint committee which will look into the conversion of concessions into licences, the Bangkok Post reports citing prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The joint committee of the ICT and finance ministries will have one month to complete its findings before the NTC's 3G auction in September.