Sepo challenges NTC's authority to issue 3G licences

News Wireless Thailand 28 JUN 2010
Sepo challenges NTC's authority to issue 3G licences
Thailand's State Enterprise Policy Office (Sepo) has challenged the authority of the telecommunications regulator to issue 3G licences. Sepo has sent a formal letter to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) commenting on the regulator's plan to auction the licences. As the spectrum can be used for television and radio broadcasts as well as telecommunications services, Sepo questioned the regulator's authority to issue the spectrum, the Nation reports. The Office also urged the NTC to check if its 3G licensing plan complies with the Public-Private Joint Venture Act. As the 2.1 GHz spectrum is a national resource, the regulator should sell off only one licence at a time, Sepo also said. The NTC was planning to auction three licences with a starting price of THB 10 billion per licence. Sepo also said that the combined cost for licences and the annual fees should not be lower than the combined fees received by the state enterprises from 2G concession holders.

Categories:

Mobile

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NTC

Countries:

Thailand

Tags:

Government telecommunications licensing, 3G

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