A Thai court has given the country’s leading mobile operator AIS another 30 days to use the 900MHz band to provide service to an estimated 400,000 2G customers.

AIS, which operates 2G services under a concession with state-owned TOT which expired last September, faced a 15 March cutoff by the regulator. The spectrum was auctioned off in December, with True Move and Jas Mobile each winning 10MHz.

AIS petitioned the court to continue using the 900MHz spectrum won by Jas, since the mobile newcomer hasn’t paid the first installment after it ran into difficulty securing financing. The deadline for payment is 21 March. True paid its installment and three bank guarantees last week.

The Central Administrative Court granted AIS an injunction on the cutoff order from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) right before the midnight deadline, Bangkok Post reported.

AIS now has until 14 April to use the 900MHz band, but NBTC has recommended to the court that the extension be only until 21 March.

Before turning around and offering AIS free access to its 900MHz network, True first proposed renting the band for THB450 million ($12.7 million) a month and giving AIS three months to complete the migration. AIS rejected the offer, saying it was too expensive and also claimed that accepting it would breach the telecom laws.

AIS said a roaming agreement with the country’s second largest operator dtac has allowed it to migrate nearly eight million 2G users off the 900MHz network. The operator had about 13 million 2G customers and has upgraded an estimated five million to 3G and 4G plans.