WiMax licence delay 'a loss' for economy

Leighton Phillips, telecom regulation and policy manager for Southeast Asia and Australia, said Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that hasn't started allocating spectrum licences and begun WiMax deployment, and yet there is no commitment to an exact timeline for both endeavours.

Thailand will miss the opportunity, in consumer and operator surpluses, expected to be contributed to the economy.

Intel's 2008 study on Intel Capital's investment in national 2.3GHz WiMax deployment in Malaysia, which has a population of 27.7 million, found that Thailand's economy would gain over $5.1 billion by making national 2.3 spectrum licences available now.

"If Thailand delays the licence assignment at least three years, the country will lose 25 per cent in surplus value contributed to the economy, that is around $1.27 billion," Phillips said.

According to US-based Analysis Group, the consumer surplus is about 18 times the spectrum value, he said.

And according to "The Economic Impact of Stimulating Broadband Nationally" conducted by US-based Connected Nation, WiMax deployment will create 2.4 million jobs.

Intel urged the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to develop attractive regulations and policies for WiMax that can draw a lot of interest from investors including Intel Capital.

Intel Capital has invested $20 million-$50 million in WiMax in each of four countries in Asia - Taiwan, Japan, Australia and Malaysia.

Intel Capital invested $1.6 billion in US-based WiMax operator ClearWire after the US Federal Communications Commission changed its policy.