3G auction planned by year-end … maybe

Bangkok Post | March 3, 2011 | Komsan Tortermvasana
The country’s new telecommunications regulator officially has no members yet but it has begun work on two master plans for the industry and national frequency management.
If all goes well, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) believes it might be ready to auction licences for 3G wireless broadband services by the end of this year _ about five years behind schedule.
Drafts of the five-year master plans are expected to be finished in May and implementation could start within three months of the 11-member NBTC board taking office, said Col Natee Sukolrat, a deputy head of the acting NBTC.
“The NBTC could start an auction for 3G licences on the 2.1 GHz spectrum by the end of this year if the publication of the master plans has been announced,” he said.
Col Natee said the master plans would provide guidance for developing the country’s telecommunications industry.
The ultimate goal is to provide broadband internet service of at least 100 Mbps for people living in big cities, representing 15% of the total population, and 10 Mbps for people in rural areas covering at least 50% of the population.
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