Historical milestone: 3,000 radio stations start with licenses!

Historical milestone: 3,000 radio stations start with licenses!

Today is a historic day for the media landscape in Thailand: the first nationwide online auction for radio frequencies has successfully started. According to the announcement by Air Marshal Thanapant Raicharoen, NBTC Commissioner for Broadcasting, this auction marks the beginning of a new era for over 3,000 local radio stations that can now operate under an official license. This ends a wait-and-see period of 20 years in which the sector operated without adequate regulatory oversight. Nation of Thailand highlights that this measure will move the radio broadcasting sector towards official licensing, similar to what happened previously in the satellite sector.

With the auction of 1,993 frequencies across the country, another important step is being taken to create an orderly and transparent working atmosphere. The entire auction process ran smoothly and without any technical problems or objections, which ensured a good sense of transparency for the bidders present.

Competition was particularly intense in the sought-after areas, showing that interest and demand for local broadcasting is high. Despite the cap on revenue compared to previous telecom auctions, this is a significant event as the government is generating revenue from this sector for the first time. Until now, the state had only collected small fees for test transmissions.

A look at spectrum auctions

Frequency auctions are a process based on a clear concept that has been carried out worldwide since the 1990s. In this process, the respective government sells the rights to use certain frequency bands to the highest bidders. This is intended to ensure efficient allocation of resources and generate additional revenue for the government. Wikipedia describes that auction formats can be designed flexibly - from daily auctions to processes lasting several months. The goals are clear: efficiency, transparency, simplicity and fairness for all participants.

In Europe, where spectrum auctions have been carried out for decades, the auction design has repeatedly adapted to the specific market conditions. In Germany, for example, the classic procedure of the traditional simultaneous multi-stage auction has become established and is considered to be particularly effective. [Wiki].

Today's auction in Thailand is not only a milestone for local radio, but also an example of how the broadcast sector can adapt to modern market conditions. Many hope that this will provide an impetus for further growth and development in the sector.