According to a report in the Bangkok Post, this spectrum will be granted under a private network operator (PNO) license to enterprises, factories, and industrial estate operators that apply for it.
NBTC commissioner Somphop Purivigraipong stated that the regulator will provide the spectrum upon request, regardless of whether applicants collaborate with telecom operators or equipment vendors. The spectrum is designated for “non-profit use with conditions,” meaning enterprises can only utilize it for their internal operations and cannot deploy it as a commercial service for external customers.
The NBTC also indicated that if enterprises wish to use the 4800-MHz band to serve their customers, they may need to participate in an auction to bid for the spectrum. While telecom operators will be permitted to bid, their usage will be restricted to offering private 5G network services; they will not be allowed to use this spectrum for roaming services for their existing 2600-MHz 5G customers, which is a restriction intended to promote private network deployment.
Somphop explained that the decision to directly allocate spectrum to factories and industrial estates aims to boost private 5G adoption, which has been slow with the 2600-MHz band used by telcos, due to limited use cases. The move is part of Thailand’s broader strategy to foster industrial digitalization and improve industrial connectivity through dedicated spectrum for private networks.
