NTC to consider cutting licence fees

A commissioner from the national telecom regulating body will propose the fees for telecom licences be cut further to ease regulatory burdens and promote competition among licence-holders.

Sethaporn Cusripituck, commissioner of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), said last Friday that he would ask the board to further lower the fees of Type-3 licences. However, he declined to reveal any details.

The Type-3 licence is for large telecom networks, which can affect the public on a large scale. Currently, these licences are held by the Telephone Organisation of Thailand and CAT Telecom. Each licence costs them 2.5 per cent of their annual revenue. The NTC brought the fee for Type-3 licences down from 3 per cent to 2.5 per cent for the first time last year.

Last Thursday, the NTC board also approved the reduction of licence fees for Internet businesses, and the new rates will take effect once they are published in the Royal Gazette. Licences for Internet businesses come in three types.

Type-1 is for Internet service providers (ISPs) with no network, while Type-2 is for ISPs with or without a network, but one that does not affect the public on a wide scale.

The Type-3 licence is for ISPs with their own network.

Under the new rates, holders or applicants of the Type-1 licences will only be charged Bt5,000 initially, but will not have to pay a yearly fee.