(The Nation via NewsEdge) Thailand telecom operators can now apply for licenses to provide wireless broadband Internet access via WiMAX, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has announced.
NTC commissioner Sethaporn Cusripituck said that telecom companies could provide WiMAX wireless broadband Internet on the 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz spectrum bands.
The 5GHz spectrum, which is commonly used for WiMAX in other countries, will not be made available at this stage.
The 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz spectrums had already been allocated for WiMAX use by the Frequency Allocation Panel, which was dissolved after the NTC was established.
Shin Satellite, True, and TOT stand to be the first telecom operators to develop WiMAX as they already own the available spectrums and have used them for their existing businesses.
ShinSat owns the 3.5GHz spectrum; True's pay TV operator, UBC True, owns the 2.5GHz spectrum; and TOT owns the 2.4GHz spectrum, which falls within the range of the spectrums to be made available.
Sethaporn said telecom operators that do not yet own a spectrum allocation could still apply for a WiMAX license so long as sufficient WiMAX spectrum bands are available.
He said offering WiMAX licenses was in line with the Council of State's ruling that the NTC could pursue spectrum management activities in the absence of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) as long as the activities did not relate to broadcasting spectrums.
© 2006 The Nation
© 2006 Dialog, a Thomson business. All rights reserved