CAT Telecom and its concession holder Total Access Communication (DTAC) will jointly upgrade the idle 20MHz bandwidth on the 1,800-megahertz spectrum to provide fourth-generation wireless service, acting CAT president Sanpachai Huvanandana said yesterday.
CAT and DTAC are expected to start the spectrum upgrade next month, he said.
According to DTAC chief executive officer Lars Norling, the two parties are discussing the issue and intend to wrap up the talks next month.
CAT awarded its bandwidth on 1,800MHz to private concession holders, including 50MHz to DTAC. DTAC currently uses only 25MHz of that. CAT later allocated 5MHz of DTAC's idle 25MHz to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission for auction, so DTAC now has 20MHz of remaining idle bandwidth. The spectrum can be used until September 2018 when DTAC's concession expires.
DTAC is seeking access to more bandwidth to enhance its 4G service amid looming competition. Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Corp won 1,800MHz licences in a November auction and True and Jasmine International won 900MHz licences in the auction in the middle of this month.
DTAC is rapidly expanding its 4G service on the 1,800MHz spectrum with 15MHz of bandwidth, covering Bangkok and vicinity, and on the 2.1-gigahertz spectrum currently covering Bangkok and 40 other provinces.
It will add 2,200 4G-1,800MHz cell sites in major provinces by early next year and expand 4G-2.1GHz service into all 77 provinces by midyear.
Sanpachai said CAT would also allow interested companies to lease its telecom towers to provide cellular service.
He added that Jasmine Mobile Broadband, holder of a 900MHz licence, had approached CAT on leasing 1,000 towers to offer cellular service.