The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has again delayed approval of a proposal by National Telecom (NT) for licences to operate a service using a foreign satellite.
The move puts on ice NT's long-awaited partnership with low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator OneWeb, for which it provide gateway station facilities.
OneWeb is a subsidiary of Eutelsat Group providing broadband satellite internet services. Headquartered in London, it has a satellite manufacturing facility in Florida that is a joint venture with Airbus Defence and Space.
According to an NBTC source who requested anonymity, the satellite operator Thaicom submitted a letter to NBTC to urge the regulator to carefully consider whether it should award a licence to provide gateway station facilities for a foreign satellite, specifically satellite broadband service.
The letter implies possible threats to local satellite service providers that spent a huge amount of money in their bidding for the right to use satellite orbits and shoulder operational expenses related to satellite construction and high licensing fees.
The regulator held Thailand's first auction to use the satellite orbit slots last year, offering five packages. Space Tech Innovation, an affiliate of Thaicom, won the second package for 380 million baht and the third for 417 million baht. Thaicom plans to launch three geo-satellites, with two small satellites slated for late 2024 and a larger one in early 2027.
On April 9 the NBTC board declined to give the licences for landing rights and gateways to NT, which submitted its proposal for the licences last year. NT's proposal was listed on the agenda of the NBTC's board meeting on April 9.
After that the NBTC board assigned its management to study all related aspects involving the landing right and gateway licence using the foreign satellites regime. The management will have to submit the study to the board as soon as possible.
NBTC acting secretary-general Trairat Viriyasirikul said NT's proposal was also listed on the agenda for the board to update at the April 24 meeting. However, the board meeting ended before the agenda was picked up for consideration.
The NBTC office will conclude the study by the end of May and submit it to the board, Mr Trairat said.
NT president Col Sanphachai Huvanandana said he is aware of Thaicom's letter to NBTC. The delay of NBTC's approval for NT's licences is affecting its planned operation related to NT-OneWeb partnership regarding LEO satellite service.
The partnership reflects NT's business diversification and complements its satellite services portfolio, he added.
NT has entered into the partnership deal with OneWeb to cash in on its ground station facilities in Thailand and the planned regional satellite service deployment. NT is expected to be a hub of OneWeb LEO satellites for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The state enterprise has already installed equipment related to the station's facilities.
According to NT, the gateway station for OneWeb's LEO connectivity was established in NT's gateway station area in Ubon Ratchathani province.
Under the partnership, OneWeb would hire NT to develop, equip and operate ground station facilities in Thailand at NT's satellite station serving OneWeb's satellite constellation.
The infrastructure and services of the ground station will enable the deployment of commercial broadband services via satellites by OneWeb in Thailand and the region. The gateway station is owned by NT, while related equipment is imported by OneWeb.
The NBTC board last year unanimously approved a draft of a new licensing regime for operating a service using foreign satellites in country.
The new regime, which has been in effect since early 2024, splits the previous sole licensing system into three categories: gateway licensing, landing rights and service.