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Published on July 20, 2007

The National Telecommuni-cations Commission (NTC) has short-listed six global companies the watchdog will invite to be considered to serve as its consultant in drafting third-generation (3G) frequency-licensing regulations.

Secretary-general Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn said they were Ovum, Spectrum Strategy, the UK's Interconnection Communications, the UK's Analysis, Germany's Detacon and US firm Nera. The six were short-listed from 18 companies jointly recommended to the NTC by the World Bank and the UN's International Telecommuni-cations Union. The NTC's board approved the short list yesterday.

The six firms will join with local companies in submitting proposals to the NTC, which in September will select one of them to be its consultant, Suranan said.

"We have a budget of Bt24 million for the consultant fee," he said.

The adviser will help the NTC determine market demand for 3G services, appropriate number of licences, bandwidth of 3G frequencies to be used, licence fee and licensing regulations.

Suranan said the NTC intended to finish the draft licensing regulations in December, which will then be put to a public hearing.

The 3G technology will enable cellular operators to offer bandwidth-hungry content to 3G phone-users at blazing speed.

The allocation of 3G frequency licences has been delayed for years, due to the absence of a National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The Frequency Allocation Act mandates that both watchdogs set up a joint panel to allocate telecoms and broadcasting frequencies and prescribe their use.

The Council of State recently cleared the way for issuing 3G licences by ruling that the NTC could allocate new frequencies for telecom services.

However, uncertainty remains, given government attempts to merge the NBC and NTC into a single body.

 Suranan said despite the uncertainty, the NTC must move ahead in drafting the 3G licence regulations, in accordance with its plan.

Meanwhile, the NTC's board endorsed bilateral interconnection-charge agreements among the three cellular operators: Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication (DTAC) and True Move.

It also endorsed a bilateral agreement between TOT and data-network company Triple T Broadband.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation