According to The Nation, the head of the broadcasting committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has confirmed that a panel will determine the network leasing fees for four major state-run digital-TV broadcasters – Royal Army, MCOT, the Public Relations Department and Thai Public Broadcasting Service. Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the committee, revealed that once the four digital-network licensees have submitted their fee proposals, the panel will go through the documents and determine the proper rate for each network provider. 

Sukonrat delivered this message in a seminar held by the Thailand Development Research Institute last week. The costs of network leasing and satellite transponders are among key factors that potential bidders for 24 commercial digital terrestrial TV channels really want to know before deciding whether to participate in the coming spectrum auction.

Additionally, CIMB Securities research suggests network operators would likely share infrastructure costs. It points to MCOT as a network operator that could spend about Bt750 million to Bt1 billion per multiplexer, a device that selects one of several digital input signals and forwards it into a single line. The money will be spent on the installation of multiplexer equipment in 153 main and gap-filler stations. MCOT will probably charge channel operators about Bt40 million to Bt60 million per standard-definition channel a year. However, Nation Broadcasting Corp president Adisak Limprungpata-nakij said those charges were still too high for channel operators.