Thai state-owned operator National Telecom (NT) has received approval from its board to invest THB800 million (US$22.5 million) in expanding its network to utilize spectrum in the 26 GHz band. The purpose of this investment is to provide Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services and connect enterprises to private 5G networks.
According to the Bangkok Post, NT expects the project to be completed by March 2024. This is the first phase of a THB6.7 billion budget approved by the Thai government for NT's business development using the mmWave spectrum. The company has been granted a license for the 26 GHz band for the next 14 years.
The majority of the budget, approximately THB5 billion, will be allocated to network development, while the remaining funds will cover operational costs. NT management plans to start drafting terms for the purchase of network equipment next month, with completion expected early next year. The first phase of the network expansion is scheduled to be operational by March of next year.
NT is the result of a merger between TOT and CAT Telecom. As part of the merger, NT acquired a portion of its 26 GHz license from TOT, which had won 200 MHz of bandwidth in 2020.
