The telecom regulator has approved in principle the application of Shin Satellite to test WiMax wireless broadband Internet-access service to see if it will jam its Thaicom 5 satellite.

ShinSat plans to share some of the satellite's 3.5GHz spectrum with a Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access service.

The National Telecommuni-cations Commission will now examine whether ShinSat's concession allows the company to use its existing frequency to test WiMax.

Recently the NTC decided that telecoms operating between 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz could apply to conduct WiMax tests ahead of offering the service commercially.

ShinSat, True Corp and TOT are the first in line to develop WiMax as they are already using the frequencies for their existing businesses.

ShinSat occupies the 3.5GHz spectrum, True's pay-TV operator UBC True has 2.5GHz and TOT is at 2.4GHz. The frequencies were assigned to them by the now defunct frequency-allocation committee.

The NTC has put off allocating bandwidth for WiMax and other new services, such as 3G cellular, pending the establishment of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The telecom law stipulates that the NTC and NBC jointly create a frequency table, manage frequency use and prescribe frequency-utilisation regulations.

The Central Administrative Court ruled last November to void the appointments of the seven NBC members, citing the unconstitutionality of the selection process.

Major telecoms are waiting for the NTC to license 3G and WiMax so they can offer bandwidth-hungry services such as live video broadcasting in a bid to increase revenue per customer.

Thai Mobile, the cellular operator of TOT and CAT Telecom, was awarded 1900MHz, which can be deployed to offer 3G, by the frequency-allocation committee.

TOT, which is in the process of buying out CAT from their Thai Mobile joint venture, is rolling out its 3G network countrywide to lease to other cellular operators.

Usanee Mongkolporn

The Nation