A hard day's work and
progress
towards 3G
Thai parliament
passes the Frequency
Allocation Bill
By Jon Fernquest 
While soldiers guarded the
parliament from red shirt protestors and the
opposition
stayed away from parliament to protest this military
presence, parliament
actually got a lot of work done yesterday.The Frequency Allocation Bill, an important bill needed before 3G mobile phone service can get fully underway in Thailand, was approved by parliament yesterday.
Today's article begins after the vocabulary:
a hard day's work -
one day of working with great energy and effort
progress towards Y - did work and got part of the way to achieving goal Y
parliament - the group of people elected from the different cities and regions of a country to make laws of and debate national issues (See Wikipedia)
the opposition - the political party with fewer votes in parliament that has to oppose the government rather than forming the government (as the party with the most votes does)
party, political party - a group of people with the same ideas about how to govern the country, who work together to get votes พรรคการเมือง
military presence - when the military has been put in a place (usually to provide safety and security)
spectrum, frequencies - parts of the limited electromagnetic spectrum that is used for radio, mobile phones, and TV broadcasting
the airwaves - the part of the spectrum used for broadcasting TV and radio
allocation - an amount or share of something that is given to someone การแบ่งส่วน
Frequency Allocation Bill, Frequency Allocation Act - Thailand's law for allocating the airwaves or electromagnetic spectrum
3G - third generation mobile phone, the next level of mobile phone services beyond the current second generation (2G), supports broadband internet, supports greater numbers of voice and data customers especially in urban areas (See Wikipedia on 3G)
get underway - start, start working
get fully underway - start working completely, in its finished form
progress towards Y - did work and got part of the way to achieving goal Y
parliament - the group of people elected from the different cities and regions of a country to make laws of and debate national issues (See Wikipedia)
the opposition - the political party with fewer votes in parliament that has to oppose the government rather than forming the government (as the party with the most votes does)
party, political party - a group of people with the same ideas about how to govern the country, who work together to get votes พรรคการเมือง
military presence - when the military has been put in a place (usually to provide safety and security)
spectrum, frequencies - parts of the limited electromagnetic spectrum that is used for radio, mobile phones, and TV broadcasting
the airwaves - the part of the spectrum used for broadcasting TV and radio
allocation - an amount or share of something that is given to someone การแบ่งส่วน
Frequency Allocation Bill, Frequency Allocation Act - Thailand's law for allocating the airwaves or electromagnetic spectrum
3G - third generation mobile phone, the next level of mobile phone services beyond the current second generation (2G), supports broadband internet, supports greater numbers of voice and data customers especially in urban areas (See Wikipedia on 3G)
get underway - start, start working
get fully underway - start working completely, in its finished form
Economics
Frequency bill passed
Naming regulators is next challengeKomsan Tortermvasana
25/03/2010
The House of Representatives yesterday approved the long-delayed Frequency Allocation Bill despite rising political tensions outside Parliament.
The bill, which calls for the creation of a single telecommunications and broadcasting regulator, was unopposed winning 245 votes.
bill
- a written document containing a proposal for a new law ญัตติ
pass a bill - when a proposed law becomes actual law
regulators - the government agencies that make rules and laws and regulations for different industries (food, drugs, banking, transportation, commerce) and then check to see if they are being followed, makes certain that the companies who operate a system work effectively and fairly ผู้มีอำนาจควบคุม
name regulators - appoint regulators, put people in the government position of regulator
challenge - something that needs a lot of skill, energy, and determination to deal with or achieve สิ่งที่ท้าทาย, การท้าทาย
tensions - disagreements and lack of trust that could break out in conflict and violence ความตึงเครียด
creation - the act of making something new การสร้าง
single - one only ดี่ยว
telecommunications - communications by radio waves using mobile phones, TV, radio, broadband internet.. (See Wikipedia)
pass a bill - when a proposed law becomes actual law
regulators - the government agencies that make rules and laws and regulations for different industries (food, drugs, banking, transportation, commerce) and then check to see if they are being followed, makes certain that the companies who operate a system work effectively and fairly ผู้มีอำนาจควบคุม
name regulators - appoint regulators, put people in the government position of regulator
challenge - something that needs a lot of skill, energy, and determination to deal with or achieve สิ่งที่ท้าทาย, การท้าทาย
tensions - disagreements and lack of trust that could break out in conflict and violence ความตึงเครียด
creation - the act of making something new การสร้าง
single - one only ดี่ยว
telecommunications - communications by radio waves using mobile phones, TV, radio, broadband internet.. (See Wikipedia)
The proposed legislation would amend the Frequency Allocation Law, which was mandated by the 1997 Constitution and has been in effect since 2000.
The vote was hailed as a positive sign for the telecom industry, which hopes a long-delayed auction for 3G mobile broadband licences might now go ahead.
proposed
- suggested (but not yet chosen or decided upon)
legislation - a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament กฎหมาย, การออกกฎหมาย
amend - to make changes to a law to improve it การแก้ไขกฎหมาย
X mandated Y - Y gave the power and authority to do X
hailed - praised a person or an achievement by saying that they are similar to someone or something very good ยกย่อง
positive - something good สิ่งที่ดี, ในแง่ด, ีที่ด
a positive sign - something happens that shows that a situation is good (either current situation or in the future)
telecom - telecommunications, dealing with telephones การโทรคมนาคม หมายถึง การสื่อสารทางไกลโดยใช้โทรศัพท์ เคเบิล โทรทัศน์ วิทยุและโทรเลข
auction - a usually public sale of goods or property, where people make higher and higher bids (= offers of money) for each thing, until the thing is sold to the person who will pay most การขายโดยการประมูล, การขายทอดตลาด (See Wikipedia)
broadband - the most common high-speed data transmission used for high-speed Internet access, fast enough to support applications such as streaming video (See Wikipedia)
license - permission from the government to operate a limited business
broadband licenses - permission from the government to offer broadband services
legislation - a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament กฎหมาย, การออกกฎหมาย
amend - to make changes to a law to improve it การแก้ไขกฎหมาย
X mandated Y - Y gave the power and authority to do X
hailed - praised a person or an achievement by saying that they are similar to someone or something very good ยกย่อง
positive - something good สิ่งที่ดี, ในแง่ด, ีที่ด
a positive sign - something happens that shows that a situation is good (either current situation or in the future)
telecom - telecommunications, dealing with telephones การโทรคมนาคม หมายถึง การสื่อสารทางไกลโดยใช้โทรศัพท์ เคเบิล โทรทัศน์ วิทยุและโทรเลข
auction - a usually public sale of goods or property, where people make higher and higher bids (= offers of money) for each thing, until the thing is sold to the person who will pay most การขายโดยการประมูล, การขายทอดตลาด (See Wikipedia)
broadband - the most common high-speed data transmission used for high-speed Internet access, fast enough to support applications such as streaming video (See Wikipedia)
license - permission from the government to operate a limited business
broadband licenses - permission from the government to offer broadband services
Regulation of community radio stations is also expected to improve.
House Speaker Chai Chidchob chaired the meeting yesterday, attended by just 263 out of 475 MPs. Only two MPs from the opposition Puea Thai party attended while the rest boycotted the sitting. One MP abstained from voting after two hours of debate and 17 declined to cast ballots.
community
- the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
community radio stations - "radio service that caters to the interests of a certain area, broadcasting material that is popular to a local audience but is overlooked by more powerful broadcast groups" (See Wikipedia)
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
improve - to get better ดีขึ้น
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
chair a meeting - lead and control a meeting เป็นประธานของการประชุม
attend a meeting - go to meeting, participate in a meeting เข้าประชุม
opposition - of a political party that is not part of the government or a group which is against the government ฝ่ายค้าน ผู้ต่อต้าน
party, political party - a group of people with the same ideas about how to govern the country who work together to get votes พรรคการเมือง
debate - a discussion or formal argument on an issue between people with different views (See Wikipedia)
cast - (of a vote) to vote by putting marking your voting paper (ballot) and putting it in the ballot box ลงคะแนน
ballot - in an election a piece of paper that you write your vote on
community radio stations - "radio service that caters to the interests of a certain area, broadcasting material that is popular to a local audience but is overlooked by more powerful broadcast groups" (See Wikipedia)
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
improve - to get better ดีขึ้น
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
chair a meeting - lead and control a meeting เป็นประธานของการประชุม
attend a meeting - go to meeting, participate in a meeting เข้าประชุม
opposition - of a political party that is not part of the government or a group which is against the government ฝ่ายค้าน ผู้ต่อต้าน
party, political party - a group of people with the same ideas about how to govern the country who work together to get votes พรรคการเมือง
debate - a discussion or formal argument on an issue between people with different views (See Wikipedia)
cast - (of a vote) to vote by putting marking your voting paper (ballot) and putting it in the ballot box ลงคะแนน
ballot - in an election a piece of paper that you write your vote on
The bill will now go to the Senate for scrutiny, using the same three-step process followed by the House: accepting the bill for debate, debating, and approving.
Senator Anant Worathitipong said passage by the lower house was a good sign, and that Senators would begin their process by April 5 at the earliest.
If the Senate approves the bill, it will become law. If they reject the bill, it would be returned to the House, and a joint committee of MPs and senators would scrutinise it.
scrutiny
(noun) - careful and thorough examination การตรวจสอบอย่างละเอียด
scrutinise (verb) - the action of scrutiny
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
House, lower house, House of Representatives - in parliament the group that has more members and that is more representative and elected สภา
Senate, upper house - in parliament the group that has less members and is often less representative and elected
reject - to not agree with a request, offer or proposal ปฏิเสธ ไม่ยอมรับ
joint - done together; belonging to or shared between two or more people ความร่วมมือกัน
scrutinise (verb) - the action of scrutiny
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
House, lower house, House of Representatives - in parliament the group that has more members and that is more representative and elected สภา
Senate, upper house - in parliament the group that has less members and is often less representative and elected
reject - to not agree with a request, offer or proposal ปฏิเสธ ไม่ยอมรับ
joint - done together; belonging to or shared between two or more people ความร่วมมือกัน
The current parliamentary session ends in May and it is not clear whether the bill can pass all of the remaining steps by that time.
The current bill fixes the number of National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) members at 11 but Mr Anant said the Senate might increase it to 13 or 15. It also requires that half of the members come from applications and half from appointments.
The Senate might favour a selection method for all NBTC members, the same as for the current National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), said Mr Anant.
current
- of the present time ปัจจุบัน
parliamentary session - a meeting of parliament
session - a formal meeting of an institution such as a parliament or a court การประชุม
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) - a proposed combined telecoms and broadcasting regulator
applications, applications for a position - people making formal rrequest to be appointed and put in position
appointments - people who are chosen to serve in a special position (appointed)
favour - to give an advantage to someone or something, often in an unfair way ช่วยเหลือ
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) - the first independent state telecommunications regulator in Thailand, regulates all telecommunications services, formulates a master plan, sets criteria and categories of telecommunications services, permits and regulates the use of spectrum for telecommunications services and grants licenses to telecommunications operators (See website and policy) คณะกรรมการการสื่อสารมวลชนแห่งชาติ
parliamentary session - a meeting of parliament
session - a formal meeting of an institution such as a parliament or a court การประชุม
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) - a proposed combined telecoms and broadcasting regulator
applications, applications for a position - people making formal rrequest to be appointed and put in position
appointments - people who are chosen to serve in a special position (appointed)
favour - to give an advantage to someone or something, often in an unfair way ช่วยเหลือ
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) - the first independent state telecommunications regulator in Thailand, regulates all telecommunications services, formulates a master plan, sets criteria and categories of telecommunications services, permits and regulates the use of spectrum for telecommunications services and grants licenses to telecommunications operators (See website and policy) คณะกรรมการการสื่อสารมวลชนแห่งชาติ
Telecom expert Anuparb Thiralarp said the new law, if passed, should help address loopholes in existing telecom regulations.
He cited the 3G licence auction as a prime example, noting that the current NTC has been unwilling to proceed because of questions about its legal authority.
With a single regulator for both telecoms and broadcasting, licensing would be faster and easier, he said
address
- to try to deal with a problem or question จัดการกับปัญหา
loopholes - legal ways to get around a law, imperfections in a law that allow people to avoid the law (and do something the law was meant to prevent)
regulations - rules made by the government to control how some activity is done กฎระเบียบ, ระเบียบ, ข้อบังคับ, ระเบียบปฏิบัติ
cited - mentioned (to support a point you are making or arguing) กล่าวถึง
licence - official permission from government to do a business or some activity อนุญาต
prime - main or most important ที่สำคัญที่สุด
proceed - to continue as planned ดำเนินการ
authority - the power to make decisions or tell people what to do อำนาจ, อำนาจในการสั่งการ
licensing - getting official permission from the government to do a certain activity
loopholes - legal ways to get around a law, imperfections in a law that allow people to avoid the law (and do something the law was meant to prevent)
regulations - rules made by the government to control how some activity is done กฎระเบียบ, ระเบียบ, ข้อบังคับ, ระเบียบปฏิบัติ
cited - mentioned (to support a point you are making or arguing) กล่าวถึง
licence - official permission from government to do a business or some activity อนุญาต
prime - main or most important ที่สำคัญที่สุด
proceed - to continue as planned ดำเนินการ
authority - the power to make decisions or tell people what to do อำนาจ, อำนาจในการสั่งการ
licensing - getting official permission from the government to do a certain activity
Broadcasting involved even more vested interests than telecommunications and this would be a barrier to solving problems, said Mr Anuparb.
A National Broadcasting Commission, called for under the 1997 charter, was never formed because of years of political sparring over claims of vested interests and conflicts of interest among prospective nominees.
Advanced Info Service chief executive Wichian Mektrakarn said the passage of the new bill was encouraging, but that its trip through Senate could still be time-consuming.
interests
- connections that you may benefit from, therefore affects your
attitude to it and the way you deal with it
interests - people who gain or lose depending on how events turn out business interests
barrier - anything that prevents people from being together or understanding each other อุปสรรค
charter - a constitution รัฐธรรมนูญ (See Wikipedia)
sparring - fighting, arguing
claims - when people say something is true but have not yet proven it yet
an interest in Y - will benefit in some way from the success of Y, owns part of Y
interests, ownership interests, stakes - 1. the amount of a business that you own, 2. how much you will gain or lose from a decision
vested interests - the people who have interests
conflict of interest - when personal gain conflicts with decisions that you must make for the benefit of the public (See Wikipedia)
time-consuming - activity that uses a lot of time
executive - the highest level managers in a company
interests - people who gain or lose depending on how events turn out business interests
barrier - anything that prevents people from being together or understanding each other อุปสรรค
charter - a constitution รัฐธรรมนูญ (See Wikipedia)
sparring - fighting, arguing
claims - when people say something is true but have not yet proven it yet
an interest in Y - will benefit in some way from the success of Y, owns part of Y
interests, ownership interests, stakes - 1. the amount of a business that you own, 2. how much you will gain or lose from a decision
vested interests - the people who have interests
conflict of interest - when personal gain conflicts with decisions that you must make for the benefit of the public (See Wikipedia)
time-consuming - activity that uses a lot of time
executive - the highest level managers in a company
Jirathiti Rochananond, general manager of Next Step Co, a TV programme producer, called the bill a milestone for which the broadcasting industry had waited 12 years.
I hope to see fairness in allocating frequencies once the law takes effect and the single regulatory body is established. But I'm still worried that implementation may not be as transparent as it should be," he said.
Small players are still concerned that big companies will send their representatives or proxies to become members of the regulator.
However, Mr Jirathiti said fair frequency allocation would lead to higher quality of content as producers who want to secure frequencies must prove themselves to consumers.
producer
- a person who makes the practical and financial
arrangements needed to make a film, play, television or radio programme
ผู้อำนวยการสร้างภาพยนต์, ผู้ผลิต
milestone - an event or achievement that marks an important stage in a process เหตุการณ์สำคัญ (ที่ควรบันทึกไว้), s ความสำเร็จอันยิ่งใหญ่
established - created
implementation - making a plan into reality, actually do or carry out a plan, execution of a plan, making sure that something that is planned actually gets done (See glossary) นำ (แผนการ) มาบังคับใช้
transparent - can see what is going on, nothing hidden โปร่งใส
players - participants in an industry, companies and individuals who compete in a market
concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
proxies - people working for other people (helping them to get around laws and regulations)
content - the stories and pictures inside a newspaper, website, TV show or other form of media เนื้อหา, สาระ (
secure - to get or achieve something ได้รับ, ทำให้ได้ผล
consumers - people who buy things or services
milestone - an event or achievement that marks an important stage in a process เหตุการณ์สำคัญ (ที่ควรบันทึกไว้), s ความสำเร็จอันยิ่งใหญ่
established - created
implementation - making a plan into reality, actually do or carry out a plan, execution of a plan, making sure that something that is planned actually gets done (See glossary) นำ (แผนการ) มาบังคับใช้
transparent - can see what is going on, nothing hidden โปร่งใส
players - participants in an industry, companies and individuals who compete in a market
concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
proxies - people working for other people (helping them to get around laws and regulations)
content - the stories and pictures inside a newspaper, website, TV show or other form of media เนื้อหา, สาระ (
secure - to get or achieve something ได้รับ, ทำให้ได้ผล
consumers - people who buy things or services
(Source: Frequency bill passed, Naming regulators is next challenge, Komsan Tortermvasana, 25/03/2010, link)
