Thai mobile operator AIS set aside a preliminary budget of THB10 billion ($318.8 million) to THB15 billion for its 5G rollout over the next 12 months, pitching the investment as a likely boon for 4G customers too.

AIS spent THB42.1 billion on a 5MHz block in the 700MHz band, 100MHz of 2600MHz and 1200MHz in the 26GHz band in the country’s 5G auction on 16 February, winning licences with 15-year terms.

In a stock market filing, the operator said it will initially use the 700MHz and 2600MHz bands because this will enable it to expand the capacity and coverage of its LTE network given those licences cover 4G and 5G.

For its 5G services in the 2600MHz band, it is targeting at least 50 per population coverage of key cities including Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket within four years. It did not disclose targets for the 700MHz and 26GHz bands.

Pratthana Leelapanang, the operator’s chief consumer business officer, said 5G service will be launched in the near future, and using the newly acquired 2600MHz band will allow it to deliver downlink speeds of more than 1Gb/s, Bangkok Post reported.

AIS holds 1450MHz of spectrum in the low-, medium- and high-frequency bands.