The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) extended the auction time after aggressive bidding from four operators – Advanced Info Service, True Corp, Total Access Communication and Jasmine International – drove up prices for the 1800MHz spectrum.
The tender for two 15MHz licences in the 1800MHz band was held on Wednesday and is the first of two – with the next auction for two 4G licences of 900MHz spectrum scheduled for December 15 2015.
Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Corp – Thailand’s largest and third largest mobile operator respectively – are expected to emerge the winners of the auction. AIS – 23% owned by Singtel – is the only operator yet to provide 4G service in the country.
True Corp – 18% owned by China Mobile – and Total Access Communication – controlled by Norway’s Telenor – are said to be the leading providers of 4G services in the country.
