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Central Government, Citizen Engagement, Digital Inclusion, Technology

Thailand Launches 4G Trials

By Thanya Kunakornpaiboonsiri | 21 February 2012

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry kicked off the country’s first 4G long-term evolution (LTE) broadband trial in Bangkok and Maha Sarakham province.

The non-commercial 100-Mbps wireless broadband service was supported by the public-private collaboration of TOT Plc, the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), and Advance Info Service (AIS).

AIS, the country’s largest operator, is hosting the trial of 4G service using LTE technology on the 2.3-gigahertz spectrum. The company will use 20-MHz out of 64-MHz bandwidth during the trial. Some twenty 4G base stations are located in central Bangkok.

AIS is simultaneously introducing another non-commercial trial with CAT Telecom to provide 4G service on the state enterprise’s 1800-MHz spectrum. Eight cell sites were installed in Maha Sarakham.

The trials will end in May 2013.

Users of 4G service can enjoy live broadcasting with high-definition video quality with peers ranging from seventy to one hundred Mbps, seven times faster than 3G, said AIS Chief Executive Mr Wichian Mektrakarn.

Col Sethapong Malisuwan, vice-chairman of the NBTC said that the trials should help the country’s infrastructure development and in driving consumer demand. The NBTC is in charge of allocating mobile service operators.

The 4G trials should encourage the two state telecom enterprises, TOT and CAT, to return their unused frequencies back to NBTC for reallocation. The NBTC will also seek a solution with TOT to recall 64MHz of its 2.3-Ghz frequency for a 4G licence auction.

“If TOT agrees, Thailand could have 4G service by 2013 or 2014,” he said.

He also added that the NBTC has planned to hold a 3G license auction by mid-year as Thailand still has not licensed 3G services.

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