NASIONCOM Teaming with Deutsche Telekom on Malaysian WiMax Network

By Laura Stotler

TMCnet Contributing Editor

 

NASIONCOM Holdings Bhd is teaming with Deutsche Telekom AG to roll out worldwide interoperability for a WiMax network in Malaysia. The companies are scheduled to sign an agreement today, in which Deutsche Telecom will act as project manager for NasionCom’s Malaysian WiMax rollout.

 

NasionCom plans to make the entire country of Malaysia a hotspot through WiMax. AIR Broadband Communications Inc. is also working to roll out WiMax in Malaysia. The company is working with MSC Management Services Sdn Bhd, a unit of Multimedia Development Corp. The company plans to roll out a proof of concept in Cyberjaya and then introduce WiMax to other major cities in Malaysia, eventually covering the entire country.

 

"Yes ... we have been talking with Deutsche Telekom for some time now, but I cannot reveal our plans at the moment,” said Peter Tham, group managing director of NasionCom. “We will make an announcement at an appropriate time." Tham also confirmed that NasionCom will begin rolling out its WiMAX network in the fourth quarter of this year.

 

"The entire Klang Valley will be NasionCom's airspace by the end of the year, followed by the northern and southern regions in the first half of 2007,” added Tham. “The East Coast and Sabah and Sarawak will be covered in the second half of next year. This means it is looking at a 12- to 18-month timeframe for nationwide coverage."