Another update on 4G LTE in Malaysia. The Star reports that majority of the earlier mentioned 9 companies have been informed via fax that they have been allocated the 2.6GHz spectrum for 4G LTE use. This will only take effect on 1st January 2013 which is a long way to go, and time is something that the players need to roll out commercially. As mentioned earlier, the 9 companies are Maxis, DiGi, Celcom, U Mobile, P1, AMAX, YTL, REDtone and a new comer. Each of them will be getting 20MHz block of the spectrum.

2 years should give the players sufficient head start to evaluate vendors, conduct trials and plan out their coverage expansion. By 2013, we should have more 4G LTE devices in the market. Hopefully better than the Samsung Craft, the first 4G LTE phone.

[ SOURCE ]

	AMAX, Celcom, DiGi, Industry in General, LTE, Maxis, P1, Players on the Field, REDTone, Technologies, U Mobile, Yes
	3G, 4g, 4G LTE, 4G LTE Malaysia, 4G Malaysia, 4g wimax, amax, asiaspace, Celcom, Celcom Axiata, DiGi, Long Term Evolution, lte, LTE Malaysia, Maxis, P1, P1 WiMAX, REDTone, REDtone WiMAX, U Mobile, WiMAX, Yes, YTLcomms

The Star reports that the Malaysian government is expected to release 9 blocks of spectrum for 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) to 9 players soon.

The 9 companies are believed to be:

• 4 Mobile telcos – Celcom, DiGi, Maxis & U Mobile
• 4 WiMAX operators – AMAX, P1, REDtone & YTL
• a company believed to be linked to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukary

According to the paper’s source, each player will be getting 20MHz block of 2.5GHz and 2.6GHz spectrum which comprise the 70MHz and 120MHz blocks respectively, or a total of 190MHz.

Awarding 4G LTE to 9 companies is a big number and we wonder based on what merit that the spectrum is given. Looking at WiMAX itself, only half of the awarded operators are in commercial service while U Mobile, the newest mobile telco is still struggling to roll out its own 3G coverage nationwide. With the current scenario, we’re baffled to see them getting LTE spectrum when they can’t get their current 3G or WiMAX service covered properly. According to the report, the spectrum will be given to all so that nobody will be deprived from participating in rolling out 4G LTE. Strangely our very own Telekom Malaysia is not on the list.

Although we love competition, 9 seems to be too much for a country like Malaysia. Just recently Maxis & Celcom had started their own 4G LTE testing with its partners while DiGi says that they will focus on 3G first at the time being. We also wonder, what will happen to the WiMAX operators? Will they abandon WiMAX for LTE in future?

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	AMAX, Celcom, DiGi, LTE, Maxis, P1, P1, Players on the Field, REDTone, Technologies, U Mobile, WiMAX, Yes
	3G, 4g, 4G LTE, 4G LTE Malaysia, 4G Malaysia, 4g wimax, amax, asiaspace, Celcom, Celcom Axiata, DiGi, Long Term Evolution, lte, LTE Malaysia, Maxis, P1, P1 WiMAX, REDTone, REDtone WiMAX, U Mobile, WiMAX, Yes, YTLcomms

The Star has reported that REDtone International, one of the 4 licensed WiMAX operators in Malaysia is waiting for additional spectrum to roll out in West Malaysia. Just to recap, P1, AMAX & YTL were licensed to operate in West Malaysia while REDtone is the sole operator in East Malaysia. Among the 4, P1 and REDtone we’re the first to launch WiMAX in August 2008.

When we read this piece of news, we’re a little surprised by REDtone’s eagerness to venture into West Malaysia. Currently, REDtone is enjoying some sort of exclusive monopoly in Sarawak to operate WiMAX since 2008. It has been 2 years since launch but REDtone has failed to cover all major towns and cities of Sabah and Sarawak. This of course attracted a RM200,000 fine by MCMC for failing to achieve 25% target penetration in 2009.

With the current situation, it doesn’t make any sense for REDtone to step into West Malaysia. With AMAX struggling and YTL no where at sight, we are unconvinced that REDtone would fare any better. There are many Sabah and Sarawak residents who are in dire need of alternative to TM Streamyx as other wireless broadbands including 3G are still not widely available. REDtone should just focus their resources in East Malaysia instead of getting into a bullfight with other operators.

Currently P1 and REDtone are the only 2 WiMAX operators in Malaysia that are in commercial service. AMAX is still undergoing re-engineering while YTL is yet to launch commercially.

Check out our previous posts on REDtone WiMAX here.

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	Industry in General, Players on the Field, REDTone, Technologies, WiMAX
	4g wimax, REDTone, REDTone International, REDtone WiMAX, REDtone WiMAX Coverage, WiMAX, WiMAX Sabah, WiMAX Sarawak

REDtone, another WiMAX operator has quietly launched its portable USB WiMAX offering. The portable USB WiMAX modem comes with 2 plans, the Flexi50 and Flexi80.

Flexi50 offers 512kbps download and 128kbps upload with 8GB quota at RM50/month, while Flexi88 offers 1Mbps download and 384kbps upload with 15GB quota at RM88/month. The packages looks similar with the recent P1 WiMAX Wiggy postpaid plans of WiGGY 59 and WiGGY 89.

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	Players on the Field, REDTone, Technologies, WiMAX
	REDTone, REDTone USB WiMAX, REDtone WiMAX, REDtone WiMAX Coverage, RedTone Wimax Plans, USB WiMAX, WiMAX, WiMAX Sabah, WiMAX Sarawak

REDtone is one of the 4 WiMAX licensed operators in Malaysia. While P1, AMAX & YTL focuses in West Malaysia, REDtone is focused in East Malaysia.

August last year, they have officially launched in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah but they have yet to made any commercial availability to the market.

As reported earlier, they began to focus in Kuching, Sarawak. Now they have started to push their WiMAX aggressively with 5 WiMAX Plans from as low as RM138/month.

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	Players on the Field, REDTone, WiMAX
	East Malaysia WiMAX, REDtone Broadband, REDtone WiMAX, REDtone WiMAX Plan, WiMAX Kuching, WiMAX VOIP

According to sources close to us, REDtone, one of the four WiMAX players in Malaysia would be launched officially in Kuching, Sarawak  pretty soon. 

For those who haven’t heard, Redtone is the only WiMAX licensee to start rolling out in East Malaysia. It was the 2nd WiMAX operator to launch shortly after P1 in August 2008. Branded as REDtone WiMAX, it initially covers Kota Kinabalu, Sabah but we have yet to hear any buzz from them.

Apparently the offering in Kuching is said to be from RM138/month and equipment would be using Motorola‘s WiMAX range.

Watch this space as we will try to update once we receive confirmed intel.

In the news however, it was reported that REDtone is spending RM20 million this year for WiMAX coverage. Apparently they claim to have WiMAX coverage at Kota Kinabalu and Kuching already. Now they are looking at covering Tawau & Miri.

We would like to see REDtone to launch their services fully and reach out to fill the broadband gap in Sabah and Sarawak immediately.

	Players on the Field, REDTone, Rumour Mill, WiMAX
	REDtone Roll out, REDtone WiMAX, REDtone WiMAX Coverage, WiMAX Sabah, WiMAX Sarawak