The head of Ericsson’s unit in Thailand urged the government to allocate spectrum in the 3.5GHz band to complement operators’ existing 5G holdings and maximise the value of their next-generation networks, Bangkok Post reported.

Igor Maurell told the newspaper if the regulator is unable to assign 3.5GHz spectrum and hold an auction by 2025, it should consider reallocating the 2.3GHz spectrum held by National Telecom (NT) to allow operators to optimise their 5G spectrum assets.

National Telecom’s holding expires in 2025.

Maurell argued 3.5GHz spectrum would improve network capability and performance, helping the country stay competitive in the region.

He suggested operators could boost revenue by offering fixed wireless access (FWA) services for consumers and enterprises, Bangkok Post wrote.

The GSMA has long called the band a core spectrum asset for 5G deployment due to its propagation characteristics and potential for large contiguous bandwidths, enabling it to provide capacity and coverage.

More than 60 countries have assigned parts of the 3.5GHz range for their 5G network deployments.

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission auctioned 5G spectrum in the 700MHz, 2.6GHz and 26GHz bands in 2020.

GSMA Intelligence data showed True Corp ended June with 7.9 million 5G connections, or 15.7 per cent of its total mobile connections and AIS 7.3 million (16.1 per cent). NT has not launched 5G services.