ICT Ministry confident of smooth NBTC launch

Mun Patanotai yesterday said the Council of State was examining the amended Frequency Allocation Act, which mandates the establishment of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

He will forward the amended law for Cabinet approval next week and believes Parliament will pass the law within three months after its reading.

The NBTC will have 10 commissioners: two from the radio-broadcasting industry, two from television broadcasting, three from telecoms and three from the combined fields of economics and law. In the NBTC's commissioner-selection process, relevant parties will be invited to submit a combined name list of 20 representatives for the ICT ministry's consideration.

The ministry will pick 10 of them and forward their names for Cabinet approval and appointment.

Mun said the new watchdog would work in accordance with ministry policy.

One industry source is doubtful how the licensing body can remain neutral if it must follow ministry policy. The licensing body must be a neutral body, given that it must regulate the vested interests of the telecom and broadcasting industries.

Mun said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) could continue to regulate the telecom industry but must stop once the Cabinet appointed the NBTC.

Mun declined to say what the NTC should do if the NBTC gets off the ground during the NTC's awarding of third-generation (3G) mobile-phone broadband-spectrum licences in August.