The Thai government is planning to allocate 100 MHz of spectrum in the 4,800 MHz band to factories to support the rollout of Thailand’s private 5G networks. The plan is meant to enable manufacturers and businesses to create specialised 5G infrastructure to drive operational efficiency and industrial competitiveness.
According to a report, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) intends to provide spectrum access to enterprises, factories, and industrial operators through a private network operator (PNO) licence, which will be granted upon request, to accelerate private 5G adoption across the country.Â
NBTC Commissioner Somphop Purivigraipong confirmed that the telecom regulator will make the 100MHz spectrum on the 4,800MHz band available for free for nonprofit purposes, subject to conditions. In particular, factories must utilise the allocation to optimise their internal operations.
“The purpose of the 4800MHz allocation is mainly for factories and enterprises requesting the spectrum for their operations. Factories can collaborate with equipment vendors or telecom companies to deploy solutions for 5G private network operations,” Somphop stated.
The allocation, he emphasised, is intended to accelerate the practical application of 5G within Thailand’s industrial landscape.
On the commercial side, the NBTC added that enterprises wishing to deliver private 5G services to factory customers may be required to participate in auctions for the 4,800MHz band. Telecom operators are permitted to enter these auctions if they plan to operate as PNOs. However, any operator that secures such a licence will be restricted from providing consumer mobile services under this band.
The regulator clarified that telecom operators will also be barred from combining the 4,800 MHz band with their existing 2,600MHz mass-market spectrum. This decision reflects the NBTC’s objective of ensuring that Thailand’s private 5G adoption remain focused on dedicated enterprise and industrial use cases rather than mass-market mobile applications.
Presently, the consumer 5G adoption in Thailand is only being seen in applications like video streaming or as a complement to 4G connections.Â