The national telecom regulator has confirmed it will release detailed proposals for the fourth-generation (4G) auction in February as scheduled despite the country's political uncertainty.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) plans to auction 25 megahertz of the 1800-megahertz spectrum previously used by True Move and Digital Phone Co (DPC) along with 17.5 MHz of the 900-MHz spectrum in use by Advanced Info Service in September 2014.
Both frequencies will be reserved for auction to provide 4.5G service using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) advanced technology.
Concessions of True Move and DPC expired in September. Both companies were allowed to retain their customers for another year.
Col Settapong Malisuwan, chairman of the NBTC's telecom committee, said the auction would be under the package bidding concept _ a common practice internationally which allows bidders to make a single bid for a group of frequencies or licences.
The regulator has hired the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to study auction methods, estimate the value of spectra, set up reserve prices for licences and draft licence conditions.
The ITU will submit the study to the NBTC early next year.
Col Settapong said all five members of the telecom panel agreed on one of the three auction designs: package bidding on different frequency.
He said the regulator also wants to auction 17.5 MHz of 900 MHz spectrum being used by Advanced Info Service despite its concession with TOT Plc being due to expire in March 2015.
Col Settapong said the NBTC could auction the AIS's spectrum before the concession expires. But the auction winners could hold the right to use the spectrum after the concession ends.
Prawit Leesathapornwongsa, a NBTC commissioner, supported the package bidding on different frequency method.
"I believe that auctioning for only 25 MHz bandwidth of the 1800-MHz spectrum [of True Move and DPC) is not enough to provide 4G service," he said.
Mr Prawit added that each operator needs at least 20 MHz band to efficiently provide 4G LTE service.
Col Settapong said an information memorandum (IM) draft for the 4G auction is expected to completed in March.
A 4G auction would take place in September 2014, and the names of the winners will be officially announced in the first week of October, with licences being awarded early in November.