NBTC votes to keep 3G spectrum reserve price

National Broad-casting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the telecom committee of Thailand has decided to maintain the proposed reserve price of the upcoming 2.1 GHz spectrum auction.

The reserve price is set at THB 4.5 billion for a 5 MHz block. Four of the five committee members also voted to lower the maximum bandwidth each bidder can get to 15 MHz, down from 20 MHz in the original draft.

The revised draft has also relaxed the first installment schedule by allow winning bidders to pay the first installment within ninety days of the auction, rather than the earlier proposed 45 days. Committee hopes to hold the auction by mid-October as it still needs the NBTC board’s approval.