Thailand-based dtac detailed plans for a 700MHz network running on newly acquired spectrum to reach all 900 of the country’s districts by the year-end, with population coverage targeted to hit 93 per cent.

The operator received its 700MHz licence in late December 2020. It stated the network currently covers 717 districts in 75 of Thailand’s 77 provinces are covered.

CTO Prathet Tankuranun said the deployment will improve indoor and outdoor coverage on its 4G and 5G networks.

He noted 5G service is offered in nine provinces including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, with additional rollouts planned soon.

A total of 51 5G-compatible smartphones from nine vendors are available, with the number expected to reach 55 by end-June.

The operator closed March with 19.6 million mobile subscribers, down 2.8 per cent year-on-year, placing it third.