A Senate committee on information technology, communication and telecommunications on Tuesday met to discuss the state telecom regulator's plan to revise regulations governing the use of foreign-owned satellites to provide domestic telecoms services.
Anantaporn Kanchanarat, chair of the Senate committee, said the discussion was meant to gather recommendations and concerns over the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission's (NBTC) plan to review the regulations.
Raised during the discussion were the minimum qualifications for foreign satellite operators, licence fees, service disruptions and responsibilities, said Gen Anantaporn.
While the meeting's participants agreed that allowing the use of foreign satellite transponders to provide domestic services would give customers more options, it could put Thai satellite service providers at a disadvantage, he said.
While satellite service operators Thaicom and National Telecom (NT) have invested millions of baht to obtain their licences, foreign satellite providers who want to provide domestic services in Thailand only need to pay 2 million baht for a five-year licence, he said.
According to Gen Anantaporn, the committee also debated a proposal seeking to allow the use of foreign satellite services on Thai and foreign planes, sea-faring vessels and high-speed rail systems.
The NBTC is currently gathering the public's input on its planned changes to the regulations, which have been in use for three years.
The findings will be submitted to the NBTC's board for consideration with the revised regulation expected to be announced in October.
