#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/economy/40023906

Three firms approved for bidding in Sunday’s satellite auction

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 2023

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has given the green light for three companies to bid in Sunday’s auction for satellite orbital slots, a commission member said on Wednesday.

Commissioner Thanapant Raicharoen said the telecom watchdog on Tuesday reviewed the qualifications of the three firms that had submitted bidding documents and gave them approval to bid in the auction.

The three companies are Space Tech Innovation, a subsidiary of satellite service provider Thaicom, Prompt Technical Services, a company registered in 2000 as an electrical installation service firm, and state-run National Telecom.

Approval was granted based on the qualifications, experience and financial capacity of the companies, Thanapant said.

The commission said the five satellite slot packages to be offered for leasing by Thailand are:

● Package 1: 50.5 degrees East slot with C1, N1 and P1R networks and 51 degrees East with 51 network. Bidding starts at 374 million baht.

● Package 2: 78.5 degrees East with A2B and LSX2R networks. Bidding starts at 360 million baht.

● Package 3: 119.5 degrees East with IP1, P3 and LSX3R networks and 120 degrees East with 120E network. Bidding starts at 397 million baht.

● Package 4: 126 degrees East with 126E network. Bidding starts at 8 million baht.

● Package 5: 142 degrees East with G3K and N5 networks. Bidding starts at 189 million baht.

Packages 2, 3, and 4 will likely draw the most interest and the commission expects to raise more than 800 million baht from auctioning them, Thanapant said.

He said the bidding will be completely transparent. The auction will follow the sequential ascending clock system, he said, adding that it gives bidders in each round 20 minutes to decide whether or not to raise their price – by as much as 5% of the minimum bid price.

None of the three firms will have advanced knowledge of how many packages their competitors are bidding for. The commission will determine the order in which the packages are offered on Sunday to prevent collusion and ensure transparency and fairness.

The commission cannot cancel the bidding and hand over the orbital slots to the National Telecom as the labour union of the state enterprise has demanded, Thanapant said, adding that the money raised from the bidding is state revenue and will be given to the Finance Ministry after costs are deducted.

The commission is legally required to ensure that the state receives the most money possible from auctions for access to the orbital slots.

If the auction is cancelled, the International Telecommunication Union may use it as a reason to take back the orbital slots from Thailand, Thanapant said.