The NBTC earlier resolved to hold a new auction for Jas’s 900MHz band with a starting price of Bt75.65 billion.

The other 900MHz licence winner, True Move H Universal Communication (TUC), may take part in the re-auction. If there is no interest in the band, the NBTC will keep it for at least one year.

A source from AIS said the telecom giant was keen to take part in the re-auction but it had to consider the terms and conditions of the auction first.

Lars Norling, chief executive of Total Access Communication (DTAC), said that this was an unfortunate and unprecedented situation that called for a well-thought-out and fair solution for all involved parties.

If a re-auction must take place, it’s DTAC view that there should be a new auction of this Jas 900MHz-band based on the original criteria and reserve price of Bt16.080 billion (this applies if there are fewer than three bidders) set by the NBTC. Only then can the true value of the spectrum be determined, he said.

Jas Mobile Broadband (JASMBB) of Jasmine International, one of the two 900MHz licence winners, yesterday did not show up to pay the instalment after the deadline yesterday at 4.30pm.

Its failure to pay the instalment suggested that there is no new player in the market to compete with the three incumbent players.

Jas’s share price yesterday closed at Bt3.68, up 2.79 per cent from last Friday, while that of Advanced Info Service (AIS) closed at Bt177, up 3.51 per cent.

DTAC’s share price closed at Bt42.25, up 5.62 per cent, and True Corp closed at Bt8, up 1.91 per cent.

A Jas source said the company had tried its best to fulfil the payment conditions but declined to elaborate.

The telecom committee acknowledged the Jas case yesterday and will convene tomorrow on how to proceed next, including confiscating Jas’s cashier cheque of Bt644 million placed before the auction, and to evaluate the possible damages from the case.

“In this Jas case, we consider it a sensitive issue that we have to consider in all aspects, including the legal one and the country’s interest. We’ll consider more details on Wednesday,” telecom committee chairman Settapong Malisuwan said yesterday.

It is too soon to specify the damage from the case, Settapong added. He added that the committee has done its best in this case.

After tomorrow’s meeting, the committee will also present the conclusion to its legal subcommittee to consider what to proceed next.

NBTC secretary-general Takorn Tantasith yesterday said the watchdog might hold the re-auction in four months.

The committee has also informed Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on the Jas case.

Takorn added that besides the option of the re-auction, another option is that the NBTC will propose to the junta that AIS, which proposed the second-highest price among four bidders, would be called to ask if the company is interested in buying this licence for Bt75.65 billion. If not, the watchdog will make the same proposal to DTAC.

Takorn said the NBTC had to consult with the junta on this second option.

The NBTC held the auction of two lots of 900MHz licences last December. AIS competed for the second spectrum lot by bidding Bt75.976 billion but was outbid by True Corp, which offered Bt76.298 billion.

As the auction ended, DTAC competed with JASMBB for the first spectrum lot by bidding Bt70.180 billion but it lost the bid to JASMBB.