June 13, 2012 – Committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan said yesterday that the panel had concluded that this licence falls under the NBTC’s existing regulations on the granting of Type 3 licences, so any firm could apply.
However, the committee has yet to finalise the licence fee. Applicants will have to pay either a fixed fee to be determined later or the normal licence fee of 2 per cent of annual revenue. The committee has also yet to finalise the licence’s validity period.
To be eligible for a satellite network provider licence, an applicant must be a Thai entity as defined by the 2001 Telecom Business Act, which caps the maximum foreign shareholding in a local telecom operator at 49.99 per cent. The other qualifications are compliance with the NBTC’s regulations on the granting of Type 3 licences, which are for large network owners.
Settapong said applicants needed to request a separate licence for each of their satellites.
He added that those wanting to enter the satellite business had to get the Information and Communications Technology Ministry to seek orbital slots for them, as it is the ministry, not the NBTC, that represents Thailand in coordinating with the International Telecommuni-cation Union on reserving slots.
Settapong has said the telecom committee does not need to hold a public hearing on the regulations on this satellite business licence.
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