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Home » Posts tagged 'WiMAX'
P1 4G revise broadband plans with return of MiFi Hotspot
Posted:
March 16, 2012
By: soyacincau
2 comments
P1 4G today has made several revisions to its broadband offering for its Combo (OnePlan), Fixed (ForHome) and Outdoor (ToGo) plans. P1 was offering broadband plans without contract for quite some time now but with the recent change, all plans now come with either 12 or 24 months contract duration for fixed broadband and 6 months contract for outdoor. Subscribers that picked the 24 months option will get to enjoy additional savings off subscription fees.
Samsung releases uprated WiMAX Galaxy S II for Japan
Posted:
January 17, 2012
By: ccsoya
8 comments
Check out this WiMAX Samsung Galaxy S II developed for use on Japan’s KDDI au network in Japan. Aside from the additional WiMAX radio, this variant of Samsung’s hottest selling device also gets a processor bump from the 1.2Ghz dual-core in the standard S II to a 1.4Ghz dual-core in the WiMAX version. The display has been uprated too, from the 4.3-inch Super AMOLED that we get here to a pretty awesome 4.7-inch Super AMOLED HD pushing 1280×720 pixels display. Other specs include an 8MP and 2MP cameras, full 1080p HD video recording as well as NFC.
The WiMAX Galaxy S II has all the makings of a very desirable smartphone. If we’re not mistaken Japan’s WiMAX network run on the 2.5GHz frequency band while the ones in Malaysia run on 2.3Ghz. With a little tweak and testing, it’s very possible for Samsung to make a version of this WiMAX S II that can run on Malaysia’s WiMAX network.
There’s definitely a market for this WiMAX Galaxy S II in Malaysia. Of course we’re simplifying things here and there’s a lot of things that a local WiMAX operator needs to do to make this device work in Malaysia but the point of the matter is that it can happen and we have a WiMAX operator that has proven itself to be able to make amazing things happen. The question is whether they want to or not. Let’s hope they say Yes.
Check out the WiMAX Galaxy S II product page here.
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Holy crap! The world’s going to end!
Posted:
July 27, 2011
By: soyacincau
6 comments
In Malaysia, competitors don’t utter each other names, top execs in big board rooms shun the mention of a competitor’s name in their presence. It is forbidden, a cardinal sin punishable by death. Ok maybe that’s not entirely true but it is very rare, almost unheard of for a brand to mention its direct competitor so openly.
For a brand to mention its competitor is one thing but for a brand to promote and display said competitor’s logo is almost unbelievable!
Well the social media people at P1 thought that they’d be good sports and share a contest that their competitors are running.
Yes, via its Yes World portal, is running a ticket giveaway contest for the upcoming premier of “Cowboys vs Aliens” and while Yes is promoting the contest via its social media channels, P1 thought they’d give a helping hand and promote the contest on their social media channels as well. This is tremendous! In all our years in this industry, we’ve never seen anything like it.
The rational behind it? P1 says they promoted the contest because “everybody loves free tickets no matter who gives them out”. Sensible logic, we say.
Is the world about to end? Probably not. But its definitely a new beginning. Kudos to P1 for setting the positive trend. We’re hoping other brands will follow suit. What P1 did goes a long way in creating a good perception for the brand, or its social media channel at the very least. Now, all that remains if for them to up the ante and fix that darn network of theirs (sorry P1, we still think its problematic)
In the meantime, let’s see if the advocator of “positive change” will reciprocate the goodwill gesture.
Yes sticks with WiMAX when others talking about LTE
Posted:
July 14, 2011
By: soyacincau
2 comments
Earlier this week Yes announced that it had signed an agreement with Japanese WiMAX operator UQ Communications to “further enhance both entities’ leadership positions in the 4G space and to advance the development and adoption of next-generation WiMAX technologies.
The signing coincides with the completion of the world’s first WiMAX2 field test conducted by UQ on July 8 in Tokyo. The test demonstrated a mobile WiMAX2 network delivering a downlink speed of over 130mbps in a moving vehicle.
In a statement announcing the signing Yes CEO, Wing K. Lee said that “WiMAX is the most matured and widely adopted in the world.” In the same statement, Yes claims WiMAX2 “performs better than current LTE technologies while maintaining full compatibility with existing WiMAX devices.”
We’re not fans of press releases announcing “successful” tests proclaiming crazy speeds like 130mbps over a wireless network because there is a major difference between theoretical and practical network speeds. Most of the time, these tests are conducted in a closed network where there’s virtually no network load. Realistically, you’re not going get these kinds of speeds anytime soon. So you have to take these announcements of 100+mbps download speeds with a grain of salt.
The interesting thing to note here is Yes’ decision to stick with WiMAX while almost all of the other operators in the country (including the once WiMAX posterboy, P1) are looking at building next-generation networks based on LTE.
KT Egg Sleeve brings 4G Connectivity to the iPhone 4
Posted:
May 10, 2011
By: ccsoya
No comments
Now this is a brilliant idea. Combine a 4G MiFi with the form factor of a slim battery pack for your iPhone 4 to slide snugly into. The KT Egg Sleeve is just a device.
The Egg Sleeve is a 4G MiFi that takes a form factor of a battery pack for the iPhone 4. So now instead of carrying two separate devices (iPhone and MiFi), you can power your iPhone 4 with 4G connectivity in a sleek piggyback sleeve form factor.
We’re not sure if the Egg Sleeve is also a battery but it does come with a 1500mAh battery to give you 5 hours of 4G connectivity bliss. Overall the sleeve adds 68g of heft and just over 17mm of bulk (in terms of thickness) to the iPhone 4. Negligible considering the how much faster things load up on 4G.
The KT Egg Sleeve retails for KRW128,000 which about RM350 at today’s exchange rate. For around that price we can definitely consider something like this mating with our iPhone 4 (provided of course the 4G network performance is up to par).
So we’re putting out to P1 and Yes this challenge. The product people from both operator know that this is a bloody good idea. Jadi, tunggu apa lagi? Which among Malaysia’s two top 4G operator is going to bring this innovation to Malaysia?
P1: “we don’t sell MiFi”
Posted:
April 25, 2011
By: soyacincau
7 comments
With the cheapest cost-per-GB MiFi plans in the country there’s actually a strong case for P1 to promote its MF230 MiFi device. The generous monthly data allowance combined with seamless wireless connectivity for up to five devices makes it easy for users with multiple devices to get connected when out and about with a MiFi and a P1 plan.
P1’s MF230 MiFi was initially launched exclusively with Harvey Norman back in December 2010. To purchase the MF230 you will need to buy an iPad with Harvey Norman as well. There is no option that allowed you to purchase the MF230 as a standalone device.
We thought that this exclusivity period was only for a couple of months, so we got in touch with P1 Customer Service via its web-chat service on its website to get the latest information about the MF230 and whether it is available a standalone purchase item now.
The above screen capture was the answer that we got from a P1 customer service rep. Close to four months after the Harvey Norman deal, you still can’t buy the MF230 from P1 directly. This is confusing because there is a prominent mention of the MF230 MiFi on P1′s website but as we’ve discovered, the device is not sold by P1. The only way to get the MF230 is through Harvey Norman and even then, you’ll need to buy an iPad from them first.
With the market now inundated with tablets from numerous manufacturers MiFi devices are gaining popularity. We have a market primed for a high adoption of this particular breed of gadget. And with the impending iPad 2 mania hitting the nation this coming Friday, it’d be smart for P1 to start selling its MF230 through multiple channel rather than rely on one single channel partner (in this case, it’s Harvey Norman). Also, there should be an option to purchase the MiFi standalone and not have it tied-up to an expensive purchase-with-purchase program.
On top of this P1 CEO Michael Lai openly proclaimed via his Twitter account that its MF230 “works wonderfully well while others fail”. If this is indeed the case, then it would seem that P1 have a strong product in its hands. So why the bashful market approach?
We’re not sure why P1 is not selling the MF230 using their own channels. All we know is that, if the CEO thinks very highly of the device, the should make it widely available and easily purchased.
By the numbers: P1 4G vs Yes 4G
Posted:
April 21, 2011
By: soyacincau
27 comments
A couple of weeks back, P1 together with ZTE organised a demonstration to showcase the capabilities of LTE in Malaysia. This strikes us as rather odd because since its inception P1 has been a strong proponent of WiMAX.
Its CEO, Michael Lai, has often been quoted as saying that P1 “will live and die with WiMAX” and that LTE stands for “late to evolve” rather than long-term evolution aggressively campaigning that WiMAX is the superior technology.
Why the sudden change then? Why condemn a technology and then flip 180 to adopt it? Could it be that P1 is having difficulties in getting its WiMAX network to work the way that they want it? Or are they looking for an edge to get a one up over its closest rival, Yes 4G? Or is it simply a case of the CEO making a bold statement without the benefit of foresight?
Whatever the reason may be, the message is clear, P1′s open demonstration of LTE marks a significant shift in the operator’s strategy, whatever that strategy may be.
Speaking of strategies, while the Government’s move to offer WiMAX in Malaysia has generally been seen as a bold step forward, most of the operators in which it has entrusted with the WiMAX spectrum have faltered. Out of the original four operators that were offered a WiMAX spectrum by the government, only two remain — P1 and Yes.
Between these two operators, which one is leading the 4G race? We attempt to answer this question by looking at the numbers.
How did this happen?: Two different people saying exactly the same thing
Update: We downloaded the case study again to see if Green Packet rectified the error and they did. At the same time, we got a comment from a person claiming to be the Marketing Director of Green Packet, Carol Koh explaining how the major mix up happened. We can verify on the authenticity of the person behind the comment but check revealed that there is indeed a Carol Koh in Green Packet and she is the Marketing Director of the company. Below is the comment in verbatim:
Hi, I’m the Marketing Director of Greenpacket Solutions. We do take these things seriously, so thank you for pointing out this human error on the design & layout stage, which would otherwise undermine the case study. The pain and anxiety the team is feeling right now is punishment enough. The team had been forgiven after they promised to never make the same mistake again.
Miss Koh claims that the version of the case study in which we spotted the grave error was a “design & layout stage” version. If that was indeed the case, it shouldn’t be made available for download in the first place. In fact the, “design & layout stage” version has been on Green Packet’s website for public download since January 31, 2011.
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A case study is a tremendously important piece of work. It is a highly detailed document providing in-depth investigation findings on a subject. Organisations use it to establish credibility, to showcase how effective a product has been in a certain application. Generally, it is a document that tells its readers “hey so and so is good and we’ve got the findings to back it up”.
In P1′s and Green Packet’s case, a case study is a demonstration of how they can’t even be bothered to read their own material.
P1 and it’s parent company recently released a case study entitled “P1 4G staying one step ahead” and it talks about how P1 is a “successful” 4G operator and how Green Packet has been instrumental in making P1 a success.
Although we don’t agree with the contents of the case study, both P1 and Green Packet have their justifications, but that’s not the interesting part. If you go through the document available for download here, you will notice that there is a glaring and terribly embarrassing mistake.
There are two quote boxes in the article highlighting two different high level persons in the P1 organization, one the CEO, Micheal Lai and the other Ti Lian Seng, the VP of Technology. The funny thing is both are saying exactly the same thing.
How did this happen? We don’t know but by our reckoning it is conceivable that neither Mr. Lai and Mr. Ti had even read their respective quotes before the call was made to publish the case study, and to us that tells you so much more about both company than any case study ever can.
REDtone WiMAX CNY Promotion
Posted:
February 1, 2011
By: soyacincau
No comments
REDtone, the other WiMAX operator which operates in East Malaysia is also doing a Chinese New Year Promotion for its Home Broadband packages. From now until 28th February 2011, they are giving 1 month free subscription, free 12 months modem rental, free activation waiver (worth RM100) and a 7 days money back guarantee.
Plans and packages wise, they are pretty much the same as before with their entry Home-Lite going at RM98/month with 1Mbps download speeds and 384kbps upload. The monthly quota for their Home-Lite is 25GB/month. More details on the promotion at their website.
Yes now covers more places on North South highway
Posted:
January 30, 2011
By: soyacincau
3 comments
When we went on a road test to Penang earlier on, Yes 4G coverage on the North South highway wasn’t really as covered as we would expected. The speeds were great at areas with coverage but the lack of coverage makes it a tough choice if you require seamless connectivity on your trip up north.
With Chinese New Year around the corner, most people will be traveling back to their respective home towns outside the Klang Valley. Now Yes has proudly announced that North South highway is now powered by Yes 4G. This makes long journeys more entertaining provided that their coverage is truly seamless throughout the route.