Thailand's Mobile LTE has decided not to participate in a bid for a 4G license during next month's 900-MHz auction, deciding instead to devote its attention to its proposal to become state-owned TOT's mobile service partner.
The operator has pulled out of the running after determining that its 900-MHz project was beyond its current financial and managerial capacity, the Bangkok Post said.
Mobile LTE was one of seven companies to pick up bidding documents for the 900-MHz auction, and its withdrawal takes the potential pool to six.
The company was founded last October to submit a proposal to form a strategic partnership with TOT, which is seeking to reinvent itself to compensate for the loss of concession revenue as Thailand transitions from a build-operate-transfer to a traditional spectrum licensing model.
Its proposal revolves around providing services with TOT under an MVNE model.
Four other companies have also submitted a proposal to form a partnership with TOT - AIS, Samart I-Mobile, Loxley Wireless and True Corp.
The 900-MHz auction is scheduled to take place on November 12. The opartors left in the race are AIS' 3G unit AWS, Dtac's Dtac TriNet and Dtac Broadband, True Corp subsidiaries True Move Universal Communication and Hutchison Telecommunications (Thailand), and Jasmine International subsidiary Jas Mobile Broadband.