NTC may proceed with 3G licensing before new commissioners join

The Senate is expected to formally appoint the four new members on March 23.

A telecom operator source said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) would likely not want to delay the spectrum licensing process.

Even the prime minister recently urged the NTC to speed the process up.

The telecom source said that with the new members, the NTC might work faster.

The NTC intends to auction off four 3G licences in the third quarter but it has yet to conclude the other key details - the licence period and minimum bid.

Last Friday the Senate convened to select three NTC members to replace those who recently vacated their seats by drawing lots, and to select a fourth member to replace Artorn Chandavimol, who resigned early.

The Senate chose the three new commissioners but could not announce the result.

After casting their votes and recessing for 15 minutes, only 66 senators returned to the meeting room, which was not enough to form a quorum of 75, promp-

ting the adjournment of the meeting.

The lawmakers will convene on March 23 to complete the selection process.

The candidates to replace the three balloted-out commissioners are Thawatchai Jittrapanun, Chulalongkorn University economics professor and Economic and Social Advisory Council

member; Sompol Wanikpan, deputy secretary-general of the House of Representatives; Woradej Amornworapipat, deputy secretary-general of the National Council of Young Buddhists Association; Surin Reng-arom, former deputy supreme commander; Thamnoon Julamaneechoti, former CAT Telecom senior

executive vice president; and Sirichai Sakornrattanakul, former Bangchak Petroleum managing director.

Thamnoon and Sirichai are also candidates to replace Artorn.

At the meeting to select the

new commissioners last Friday, some senators said the chamber should not select the new

commissioners on that day but rather ask the NTC screening committee to re-select the NTC candidates.

They questioned the appropriateness of putting Thamnoon and Sirichai on both candidate lists to replace the three commissioners and to replace Artorn.

After the debate, the majority of the senators voted to support the Senate in selecting the new NTC members on that day.

The NTC was established a

little more than four years ago with seven members. The commissioners serve six-year terms but in the first group of six, three commissioners were required to leave after three years.

The commissioners balloted

out last year were NTC chair-

man Choochart Promphrasid, Sethaporn Cusripituck and Rianchai Reowilaisuk. They continue as acting commissioners until replaced.