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Published on April 8, 2008

The committee will coordinate with the National Telecommuni-cations Commission (NTC) to make 3G operational, said a ministry source.

The committee members will convene for the first time tomorrow and make monthly progress reports to the ministry.

Last week, NTC secretary general Suranan Wongvithayakamjorn said the NTC would award 3G licences based on the 2,000-megahertz spectrum bands in August.

Last month, the ICT Ministry gave the go-ahead for a plan by state telecom operators and their private telecom concessionaires for the joint development of 3G on existing 900MHz and 850MHz spectra.

Advanced Info Service (AIS), which holds the TOT concession, will develop 3G on its 900MHz spectrum.

Total Access Communication (DTAC), which holds the CAT concession, will develop the service on its existing 850MHz spectrum.

True Move, CAT's other private cellular concessionaire, is waiting for CAT to allocate the other 850MHz spectrum bands before it develops 3G.

TOT has already clinched NTC permission for AIS to import 3G equipment, while DTAC is still waiting for CAT to receive similar permission.

Last week, DTAC submitted a letter to the ICT Ministry urging CAT to ask the NTC to grant permission to DTAC quickly to import 3G equipment. DTAC is concerned the delay will make its lose its competitive edge to AIS, which intends to launch 3G this year. But CAT may not be able to proceed as quickly as DTAC would like.

CAT recently assigned its Legal Department to examine whether the import of 3G equipment can be regarded as a new investment and needs Cabinet approval.

Its other headache is how to seek spectrum bands for Digital Phone (DPC), which holds its concession.

DPC, a subsidiary of AIS, requested CAT's unused 890MHz spectrum bands, which are owned by DTAC, after CAT announced it would allocate the 850MHz bands to True.

DPC cited a need to be treated on an equal footing by CAT.

Telecom Reporters

The Nation