National Telecom (NT) in Thailand was formed through the merger of two state-owned telecommunications operators, TOT and CAT Telecom. The merger was completed on January 8, 2021, with the aim of becoming one of the top three mobile service providers in Thailand. The merger allowed NT to streamline operations and reduce costs by capitalizing on overlapping administrative functions such as finance, human resources, and legal departments. NT has engaged in discussions with Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Move H Universal Communication (TUC) for infrastructure sharing on its 700 MHz spectrum network. The merger was driven by strong private sector competition in Thailand, and NT continues to be owned by the Ministry of Finance.
Alias
TOT, CAT
Country
Thailand
Type
Mobile Network Operator
National Telecom Logo

3G Network

TOT launched its 3G services on December 3, 2009, using the 2100 MHz band. The deployment of 42 Mbps HSPA+ was completed by April 2012. NT deployed its 3G network using B5 (850 MHz). The 3G networks in Thailand have been gradually phased out in favour of more advanced technologies like 4G and 5G.

Network Frequency Band Status
B1 (2100 MHz)
Active
B5 (850 MHz)
Active
Date Event Subtype
Launch of 3G Network
Launch

4G Network

NT's predecessor, CAT Telecom, commercially launched LTE services in partnership with True Move H in the 2100 MHz band on May 10, 2014, using a 5 MHz bandwidth. The 1800 MHz band was refarmed for LTE and commercially used from October 2015. VoLTE services were launched on October 15, 2015. On August 14, 2015, DTAC TriNet and AIS announced a tower-sharing partnership to enhance their LTE coverage. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) auctioned LTE-suitable 900 MHz and 1800 MHz licences in November 2015, which were won by AIS and True Move for USD 2.2 billion. TOT also trialled 2.3 GHz LTE TDD in January 2012 in collaboration with AIS, with plans to deploy LTE services using this spectrum by the end of 2017. NT deployed B28 during 2024.

4G Frequency Bands
Network Frequency Band Max. Channel Bandwidth Status Known EARFCNs
B1 (2100 MHz)
Active
250
B3 (1800 MHz)
Active
1275
B28 (700 MHz)
5
Active
9635
B40 (2300 MHz)
20
Active
38852
Date Event Subtype

5G Network

Thailand has been proactive in the development and deployment of 5G technologies. NT, formed from the merger of CAT and TOT, has yet to launch its 5G services but holds spectrum across both low and high-frequency bands. The NBTC has been instrumental in establishing Thailand as a leading 5G market, with plans to auction additional spectrum in the 2100 and 2300 MHz bands in Q1 2025 to support the development of 5G-Advanced and 6G networks.

Date Event Subtype