True Corporation has selected China’s ZTE, a leading mobile equipment supplier, to build its 5G network in Thailand.
True, which has 30 percent market share in the mobile market in Thailand, said it will be deploying ZTE’s 5G RAN products and services to build a commercial 5G network across the country. ZTE did not reveal financial details of the 5G equipment deal.
ZTE will provide products including 5G 64TR/32TR/8TR/4TR macro stations and single-band/multi-band indoor QCell, to build tri-band 5G network on 700MHz, 2.6GHz and 26GHz in Thailand.
Since 2019, ZTE has been working with True in various technical tests, verifying multiple 5G products, including 3.5GHz 64-channel Massive MIMO, 2.6GHz 64-channel Massive MIMO and 2.6GHz QCell.
In addition, ZTE and True have verified the leading 5G technologies, such as downlink 16-stream MU-MIMO and 4/5G carrier dynamic sharing.
True Corporation in April selected Ericsson as a 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) vendor as part of its national 5G network.
Products and services from Ericsson Radio System will enable True to operate 5G on 700MHz, 2.6GHz and 26GHz frequencies in the North, Central-West, and Upper South regions of Thailand.
Thailand’s telecom regulator has raised 100.52 billion baht (US$3.2 billion) in 5G spectrum auction in February, with operators snapping up 48 licences.
Advanced Info Service (AIS), the top mobile operator, has bought 23 licences across all three spectrum bands.
True Corporation and Total Access Communication, the country’s second and third-largest telecoms operators, bagged 17 and two licences respectively.
State-run firms CAT Telecom and TOT – which are to be merged to become National Telecom company (NT) – took part in spectrum auctions for the first time, winning six licences.
