DTAC expects to spend USD1.3bn on 3G

DTAC has revealed that it expects to spend THB40 billion (USD1.3 billion) on 3G during the next three years, assuming it secures spectrum in the forthcoming 2.1GHz auction to be held on 16 October, reports The Nation newspaper. Of the total, up to THB20 billion is expected to be spent on bidding for spectrum, while a further THB10 billion will be used to deploy a 3G network covering 50% of the population within two years. The final THB10 billion is earmarked for expanding coverage to 80% of the population in the following two years. DTAC’s CEO, Jon Eddy Abdullah, stated that if the company secures spectrum in the 2.1GHz band it will stop further investment on the expansion of its 850MHz 3G network once it has increased the number of base stations for that network from 3,000 to 5,200.