Asiaspace and REDtone:Our WiMAX Up and Running in Malaysia

Recently we featured the four WiMAX providers in Malaysia - Asiaspace, REDtone, YTL E-Solutions Bhd (YTLE), Green Packet through its unit Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and YTLE’s commercial which the launch of its WiMAX services is scheduled for next year.

Business Times in Kuala Lumpur recently interviewed Puan Chan Cheong, Group Managing Director Green Packet Bhd or P1 W1MAX, regarding WiMAX rollout in the country which he said was still slow.

He urged the government to move in and give the industry players a shake. Out of the four WiMAX players in the country, Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, or P1, which is a unit of Green Packet, was the first to successfully launch the new technology in the market, while others have opted to wait till next year or have yet to make any announcements.

Puan also called on the government to open up the WiMAX market to new players in future to increase the competition and challenge existing players to provide better service.

This Business Times’ article get feedback from other WiMAX providers - Asiaspace and REDtone.

Both companies said reports quoting Green Packet Bhd, another WiMAX licensee, that other players have not yet rolled out their wireless Internet broadband services, were inaccurate and misleading.

Asiaspace, the only Bumiputera company awarded the WiMAX 2.3Ghz spectrum licence, said their service was launched on August 30 last year, covering selected areas within the Klang Valley. REDtone launched its service on August 20 covering areas in Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.

“We are not shouting about (the WiMAX services) but we are reaching out to the public,” Asiaspace chairman Datuk Abdul Ghani Abdullah told Business Times in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the company was relatively quiet in terms of promoting its services, but this was to ensure the necessary infrastructure was in place first before offering it to customers.

“We are already in business with our wireless product called ‘amax’ and have a number of subscribers using our services. So, to say that we are not yet operational is not true,” Abdul Ghani said.

With 138 base stations so far, he said, Asiaspace has presence in places like Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Technology Park Malaysia, Bandar Sri Petaling, Bukit Anggerik, Taman Maluri, Bandar Puchong Jaya, Subang Jaya, Kelana Jaya and Bandar Tun Razak.

“We plan to expand our coverage to areas such as USJ, Damansara Utama and Tropicana in the near future,” Abdul Ghani added.

The company expects to provide coverage to 40 per cent of the population by 2010. It is also planning to have presence in all major cities by the end of 2009.

REDtone, which was awarded the WiMAX licence to operate in Sabah and Sarawak, said its service (called REDtone WiMAX), is available from the Kota Kinabalu Airport to the harbour front or the “old” Kota Kinabalu, involving areas like Likas, Jalan Lintas, Penampang and Inanam.

The areas surrounding the Yayasan Sabah building, meanwhile, makes up the coverage area of new Kota Kinabalu, including Universiti Malaysia Sabah, the company said in a statement.

For Kuching, REDtone WiMAX coverage will be for the entire south Kuching.

“With this, REDtone would have achieved the 25 per cent population coverage as set by the authorities,” the company said.

Via Business Times

** Keduluan, Keduluan, Keduluan ....