The launch of the portal coincided with YTL Communications’ historic introduction of Yes 4G, the world’s first fully converged 4G mobile Internet service with voice.

Commenting on the portal launch, YTL Communications CEO Wing K. Lee said, “We started our amazing 4G journey with the launch of our Yes 4G Mobile Internet with Voice service, on November 19. Yes 4G brings together the world of mobile Internet and voice communications, and this news and entertainment portal complements the mobile lifestyle and convergence needs of the consumers. Daylife’s tools allowed us to put together a customer portal with intelligently aggregated content and a great user experience.”

To power the portal, YTL Communications used Daylife products, including SmartGalleries, SmartTopics, and the Platform API. Yes World is a uniquely aggregated homepage for Yes subscribers and features integrated search, news from hundreds of thousands of sources, and convenient links to and information about other Yes products and services.

“We’re thrilled to support YTL Communications in their launch of the world.yes.my portal,” said Daylife CEO Upendra Shardanand. “As technology pioneers, YTL Communications is committed to serving its customers with the most powerful technology and dedicated service. Daylife is excited to help them bring the best news and entertainment coverage in the world to their growing community.”

Yes World is primed for fast growth, and future plans include integrating more original content, key partnerships, and new user experiences for Malaysians.

The Yes service incorporates fully converged data and voice services, speeds of up to five times faster than 3G, new devices and a unified communication tool. The Yes service was officially launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

YTL Communications executive chairman Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh said: “Every Yes account comes with high-speed Internet access and a mobile phone number, making the convergence of data and voice seamless. Our subscribers will have not only high-speed mobile data access but will also enjoy voice, online chat and SMS services that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, through the Internet.”

The Yes plan, which offers nine sen per minute/SMS/3MB is up to three times lower than current prepaid mobile Internet and voice packages, and combines voice, mobile Internet and mobile broadband into an integrated plan so that consumers do not have to pay multiple bills.

YTL Communications chief executive officer Wing K Lee said there is no throttling of data services and there is no wastage as customers are charged only for what they use.

He said there is no contract or lock-in period and there is no expiry for the credits.

Yes also offers up to 30% rebate to power users who consume a high amount of data that reduces the rates to as low as two sen per MB or RM20 per GB.

Yes is also a SIM-less service that comes with a user ID and telephone number that works across all devices, turning any device connected to the Internet into a phone.

During the launch today, YTL Communications and Samsung introduced the first all-4G mobile phone, the Yes Buzz. Other Yes 4G devices include Yes Huddle (4G mobile router), Yes Go (4G USB dongle) and Yes Zoom (4G WiFi router).

At the launch, the Yes 4G covers 65% of the population in Peninsular Malaysia and the company aims to increase the coverage to at least 80% by end- 2011.

Yeoh said that it currently has the licence for only Peninsular Malaysia but will extend the service to Sabah and Sarawak at the right time.

He said Malaysians travelling abroad can also keep in touch with friends and family at home through Yes at local rates without worrying about roaming charges.

He added that it would be giving 300MB of data or 100 minutes of voice calls a month free to every student registered under its Education Partner programme. “I am also pleased to announce that we will be extending the Education Partner programme to all government-sponsored scholars abroad.”

Speaking at the launch, Muhyiddin said the service would help the government improve the household broadband penetration which is currently at 54.5%.

“I am confident that we can reach even more households and help establish high quality and affordable broadband network that will reach 95% of the population by 2020,” he said.

He added that it is critical for the nation to balance market-friendly environment to drive private investments with maintaining its inclusive policy aims, particularly on affordability of access and quality of service in rural areas.

YTL Communications will commercially launch the world’s first nationwide 4G mobile Internet network in Malaysia later this year with extensive coverage based on 2.3 GHz wireless broadband. YTL Communications will implement Subex’s ROC FM to tackle any potential fraud that may impact revenue for the company.

“The need for strong fraud management solutions has become increasingly important as we are expecting a large subscriber base after the nationwide launch of the state-of-the-art 4G mobile Internet network”, said Lee Nyit Toong, CFO, YTL Communications. “Subex’s ROC FM will play a crucial role as we strive to curb fraud cases and enhance company profitability”, he added.

“We are delighted that YTL Communications has recognized Subex’s superiority in fraud management by selecting Subex ROC FM. Our solution will enable YTL Communications to have in place a foolproof system to prevent any occurrence of fraud in their network, as they gear up for their 4G network launch”, said Sudeesh Yezhuvath, Chief Operating Officer, Subex Ltd.

ROC FM, the fraud management component of Subex’s ROC, is built to help CSPs move towards fraud prevention by eliminating known frauds, reducing free run time, augmenting internal controls and through continuous fraud management process improvement.  The solution boasts several industry-leading features, enabling real time reaction through its in-line controls and transaction controls and prioritizes investigation of potential fraud cases through its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) techniques.

Some of Subex ROC FM’s features are:

• Pre-check functionality, which runs multiple checks on new subscription against blacklists and identifies fraudsters based on phonetic, exact and combination matches.
• Patent-pending e-fingerprinting feature, which captures the details of subscriber behaviour and matches against a hot list of previously recorded fraudster fingerprints without relying on any subscriber credentials.
• IAQ (Intelligent Alarm Qualifier), which uses AI to detect the truly false alarms, thereby increasing analyst productivity and reducing revenue leakage.

The project was secured via its unit, ECS Pericomp Sdn Bhd, which has teamed up with global networking giant Cisco Systems Inc, to supply the network infrastructure for YTL Com’s 4G WiMAX broadband service rollout nationwide.

It was reported that YTL Com is planning to rollout the service in July.

“The RM30 million network project is ECSB’s single largest enterprise systems contract for this year,” its Managing Director Foo Sen Chin told a press conference after the listing ceremony, here Thursday.

The company’s stock opened at a premium of six sen at RM1.52 over the offer price of RM1.46. There were 5,090 lots traded. The share was traded at RM1.48 after 15 minutes.

Foo said the contract entails ECSB purchasing Cisco products from multiple factories worldwide, and providing services for shipping, importing, staging and delivery to YTL Com for its nationwide implementation.

ECSB is a leading information and communications technology (ICT) distribution hub in Malaysia. It has three core businesses, namely, enterprise systems, ICT services and distribution.

Foo said ECSB is also looking forward to supply network infrastructure for the other three WiMAX players, Green Packet Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd and REDtone International Bhd, through the knowledge acquired from the YTL Com project.

On outlook for the ICT industry, he said the company is optimistic over it, adding that ECSB aims to grow faster than the industry rate, which is predicted at around six per cent this year.

Asked whether the strengthening ringgit is affecting ECSB, Foo said 70 per cent of the company’s products are purchased in the local currency.

The ringgit was quoted at 3.1850/1880 as at mid-day today.

On the US dollar’s fluctuations, Foo said it would also not have any effect as the company had a forward contract to book the dollar at a fixed exchange rate.

ECSB pays around US$10 million a month to vendors like Cisco, Apple, Microsoft and IBM.

Built on an open standard based analytics framework, Connectiva AFFIRM will enable YTL Communications to identify, correct and prevent leakage across its entire revenue chain including its BSS and OSS components. YTL Communications is currently deploying the world’s first nationwide 4G network, having been awarded a license for a WiMAX 2.3 GHz wireless broadband access spectrum by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). In addition, Connectiva will provide re-rating and re-billing services to support this network.

“The need for strong revenue assurance solutions has become increasingly important as we gear ourselves for the commercial launch of our nationwide 4G service later this year,” said Lee Nyit Toong, the CFO of YTL Communications. “The appointment of Connectiva portrays our firm commitment to continue working with best-in-class partners in our 4G network deployment. We are pleased to partner with Connectiva and look forward to future success,” added Mr. Toong.

“We are delighted that YTL Communications has selected Connectiva to provide the highest quality revenue assurance solutions and to support the expansion of its 4G network,” said Avi Basu, CEO of Connectiva Systems. “WiMAX usage in the Asia-Pacific region alone is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 102 percent between 2009 and 2015.[1] The market potential combined with YTL Communications’ nationwide 4G network present an excellent opportunity for both companies.”

Tech Mahindra, a global systems integrator and technology solutions provider to the telecom industry, and Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, will act as the suppliers for the BSS and OSS components of the implementation.

More importantly, it (4G services) could enable businesses to be conducted more efficiently, which is in line with the Government’s New Economic Model (NEM) to transform the country into a high-income nation, he said.

“A 10% improvement in broadband penetration increases gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.3%.

“Currently, our broadband penetration is only 25% and if we move it to 75%, we will have a 6% increase in GDP” and would create a more sustainable economy dependent on knowledge workers, he said at InvestMalaysia 2010 yesterday.

The 4G service is being developed by YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, a unit of YTL.

Yeoh said the Government was aware of the importance of enhancing broadband as it would not only help spur economic growth and development but also allow individuals to gain knowledge and various expertise that could help them achieve higher income.

The 4G service and network is expected to be rolled out before year-end and so far, YTL has invested over RM2.5bil in the development of 4G services in the country.

On the New Economic Model, Yeoh said the private sector was supportive of the model and was now looking forward to its execution and implementation in June.

“The Government must have the political will to make policy changes and be consistent with the policy changes for the good of the nation and its people, despite that fact that it may hurt certain quarters in the short term,” he noted.

The two-month grace period before the policies are implemented is to allow various industry players to have their say and possibly to iron out any issues.

At the same time, it announced the resignations of siblings Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong and Datuk Mark Yeoh Seok Kah from their executive directorship, also with immediate effect.

Yasmin was Microsoft Malaysia MD from 2006 to December 2009, while Ahmad Fuaad helmed MAS from April 2004 to August 2005.
Ahmad Fuaad is also a director of HLG CAPITAL BHD [] and Tokio Marine Insurans (Malaysia) Bhd.

YTL E-Solutions, one of the four WiMAX licensees in the country, said it had redesignated its independent director Mohamad Zain Mohd Zainal Abidin as non-independent non-executive director.

YTL e-Solutions, one of the country’s four 2.3GHz WiMax spectrum licensees, was perceived a laggard as it had missed an August 2008 deadline to deploy WiMax services commercially.

In fact, the slow progress among the licensees to offer such services in the country prompted then-Energy, Water and Communications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor to to issue a warning last August, threatening to withdraw their licenses if they failed to deliver.

YTL e-Solutions said it expects to spend over 1 billion ringgit (US$279 million) over the next 12 months ahead of its July 2010 launch. “We expect to roll out fully in 14 months with user trials beginning in the next six to eight months,” said Francis Yeoh, YTL e-Solutions’ executive chairman and managing director, after a signing ceremony between its subsidiary, Y-Max Infra, and Samsung Electronics here Thursday.

Under the agreement, Samsung will implement a WiMax network that includes base stations, multimedia service offerings and a range of mobile Internet devices. YTL e-Solutions has identified 2,000 sites nationwide for the base stations.

“In terms of nationwide coverage, we’re ahead of schedule,” said Yeoh, adding that the company will invest a total of 2.5 billion ringgit (US$697 million) in the project over five years.

He said the network is designed to support 14 million customers and will cover about 70 percent of the population. However, he declined to say when YTL e-Solutions expects to break even or the timeline it is targeting to secure half of the 14 million customers the network was designed to support.

In June 2008, YTL e-Solutions signed an agreement with U.S.-based Clearwire (formerly known as XOHM) for the provision of technical expertise. It then partnered Cisco Services Malaysia in November 2008 to establish its WiMax core network in peninsular Malaysia.

The partnership with Samsung completes what YTL e-Solutions needs for an all-IP (Internet Protocol) converged mobile Internet network, said Yeoh, adding that the Korean IT vendor will supply network equipment as well as the world’s first WiMax-enabled handsets.

In June 2006, Samsung launched the world’s first commercial mobile WiMax services, called WiBro, in South Korea, which led to partnerships with 23 major WiMax operators in 19 countries, including Russia and Japan.

Asked about missing the deadlines set by the Malaysian government, Yeoh said: “We’ve explained [to the regulator, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)] and asked them to give us more time.”

The MCMC did not respond to ZDNet Asia’s queries on whether any action will be taken against any of the WiMax licensees.

WiMax in Malaysia
In August last year, Packet One Networks (P1) became the first licensee to launch WiMax services in Malaysia. Asiaspace commercially launched its WiMax service on Aug. 30 last year, while Redtone International was the first to launch WiMax in East Malaysia.

P1 CEO Michael Lai said in an e-mail interview: “We plan to cover 30 percent of the country within the first half of 2009, 40 percent by 2010, and 60 percent by 2012. For East Malaysia, we aim to have a presence there by 2010.”

“Currently, P1 [operates] the largest WiMax network in the country, and we’re continuing to ramp up our efforts to ensure we stay ahead. We have definitely played our part in fulfilling the requirements of being a WiMax service license holder, and at the same time, are helping to meet the government’s goal of bridging the digital divide,” Lai said.

According to IDC, the cost of rolling out WiMax is significant and Malaysian players are moving ahead cautiously. In a recent media briefing here, the research firm said P1 looks set to continue its aggressive expansion this year, while the other three WiMax players seem to be taking a “wait-and-see” approach because of the capital investment needed.

Chua Fong Yang, IDC’s associate market analyst, said it can cost from 100,000 ringgit (US$27,900) to 1 million ringgit (US$279,000) to set up a WiMax base station.

The rating agency said on Thursday, March 11 this was not in line with its track record of investing in long-term concession assets with stable and sustainable cashflow.

"Although RAM Ratings is less sanguine about the group venturing into a non-concession-based business, we note that YTLPI’s power and water concession assets will remain its major cashflow contributors," it said.

YTLPI's subsidiaries are in power generation, water and sewerage services, electricity transmission and telecommunications.

The ratings agency said while the group will be viewed to have a more aggressive risk appetite if it deviates further from its strategy of only investing in concession-based utility and infrastructure assets, "we note that the management has been circumspect in its investment decisions and has demonstrated good acumen in business execution thus far".

RAM Ratings, meanwhile, reaffirmed the AA1 ratings of YTLPI’s RM2 billion commercial papers/medium-term notes programme (2007/2014) (CP/MTN) and RM2.2 billion serial redeemable bonds (2008/2013); long-term ratings have a stable outlook.

It also reaffirmed the P1 rating of the YTLPI’s CP/MTN. The ratings remain supported by the group’s robust business profile stemming from its regulated asset base, particularly its investments in power and water-sewerage services via its unit YTL Power Generation Sdn Bhd (YTLPG) in Malaysia, PowerSeraya Ltd (PowerSeraya) in Singapore and Wessex Water Ltd (WWL) in the United Kingdom (UK).

In this regard, WWL has maintained its position as one of the most efficient water and sewerage-services companies in the UK. At the power-generation end, YTLPG has been able to achieve an availability level of around 90% for the past six years; PowerSeraya exhibits a strong operating performance, underscored by its availability of about 88% as at end-March 2009.

"Nonetheless, the group’s capital structure remained constrained by its hefty debt burden of RM22.92 billion as at end-December 2009, with a corresponding net gearing ratio of 2.02 times. However, most of these debts are parked under core subsidiaries that generate stable cashflow," it said.

RAM Ratings said YTLPI had healthy debt-protection measures; its company-level adjusted operating cashflow debt coverage (OCFDC) ratio was 0.28 times as at end-June 2009.

Based on RAM Ratings’ cashflow analysis, YTLPI’s OCFDC ratio is projected to range around 0.17–0.25 times throughout the tenures of YTLPI’s debt issues.

YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, which will soon launch its 4G network in Malaysia, has signed contracts with Samsung Electronics to increase the number of base stations for its nationwide network buildout and to acquire solutions for in-building coverage.

Under the deal, Samsung will provide 500 WiMAX 2.3GHz radio base stations to increase coverage in the east coast. This is in addition to the 1,900 base stations currently being deployed nationwide.

Samsung will also supply 2,000 units of smaller base stations — or picocells — for in-building network coverage.

The agreement underscores YTL Communications’ aggressive pursuit of building a broadband nation, the company said in a statement.

“Together with our world-class partners, we shall soon deliver mobile Internet to the urban and rural communities across the nation,” said YTL Communications CEO Wing K. Lee.

Samsung is the world’s first and foremost mobile WiMAX equipment provider, having launched the world’s first commercial service in South Korea in 2006.

It is a supplier to 23 major WiMAX operators across 19 countries, such as Clearwire in the United States, Yota in Russia, and UQ Communications in Japan.

“We are very excited to play a role in creating the world’s first nationwide 4G network here in Malaysia,” said Woonsub Kim, executive vice-president and general manager of Samsung’s telecommunications systems division.

In a statement today, the communications utility of YTL Power International Bhd said it was committed to purchasing one million units of WiMAX single chips from GCT Semiconductor.

“This purchase agreement demonstrates YTL Communications’ commitment and marks GCT’s dedication to fully support YTL Communications with their deployment of a nationwide 4G service in Malaysia.

“GCT will share technical expertise and provide YTL Communications with the most advanced and lowest power WiMAX chips available on the market today, making YTL Communications’ vision of creating a complete ecosystem with nationwide mobile internet service using 4G a reality,” it said.

The one million units purchased will be consigned to key original design manufacturers selected to provide innovative 4G devices to YTL Communications this year.

GCT is the market leader in providing WiMAX single-chip solutions worldwide, holding the largest market share based on WiMAX chipsets sold and number of WiMAX subscribers currently using GCT’s technology.

In the statement, YTL Communications Chief Executive Officer Wing K Lee said: “Today’s announcement marks another important milestone for YTL Communications.

“Driving economies of scale is central to our ecosystem building effort as we develop the world’s first nationwide 4G network. This significant order — amongst the largest in WiMAX history — ensures our future customers will have the best price-performance in 4G products and solutions.”

GCT President and Chief Executive Officer Dr Kyeongho KH Lee said the one million-unit commitment by YTL Communications would firmly secure GCT’s leading market share position and allow the company to maintain more than 60 per cent market share this year with design wins from over 40 countries including Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.

The sign off ceremony, taking place in Kuala Lumpur, celebrates YTL Communications’ commitment and marks GCT’s dedication to fully support YTL Communications with their deployment of nation-wide 4G service in Malaysia.

GCT will share technical expertise and provide YTL Communications with the most advanced and lowest power WiMAX chips available on the market today, making YTL Communications’ vision of creating a complete eco-system with nation-wide mobile Internet service using 4G a reality. YTL Communications will consign the purchased one million units to key ODMs selected to provide innovative 4G devices to YTL Communications this year.

YTL Communications is poised to become the first in the world to launch a nation-wide 4G network offering state-of-the art mobile Internet connectivity to Malaysia. GCT is the market leader in providing WiMAX single-chip solutions worldwide, holding the largest market share based on WiMAX chipsets sold and number of WiMAX subscribers currently using GCT’s technology.

“Today’s announcement marks another important milestone for YTL Communications,” said its CEO Wing K. Lee. “Central to our ecosystem building effort is to drive economy of scale through our effort to build the world’s first nation-wide 4G network. This significant order – amongst the largest in WiMAX history – ensures our future customers will have the best price-performance in 4G products and solutions.

“GCT is a key player in the 4G chipset ecosystem with its WiMAX solution that offers class leading power consumption and mobility performance. We are confident that with GCT’s market-proven solution and expertise, we will achieve our goal to leapfrog Malaysia into a Broadband Nation,” added Lee.

“We are pleased to further participate and contribute to YTL Communications’ 4G deployment with this strong commitment,” said Dr. Kyeongho “KH” Lee, President and CEO of GCT Semiconductor. “This one million-unit commitment from YTL Communications will firmly secure GCT’s undisputed leading market share position, and allow the company to maintain more than 60 percent market share this year, with design wins from over 40 countries, including Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Russia and USA.”

A nationwide 4G spectrum will attract investments into the industry from technology players large and small. Malaysia’s manufacturing companies could soon be making new generations of WiMAX phones or CPEs (customer premise equipment) for the likes of Samsung.

Technological innovation would take off too. I can imagine new start-ups by whiz kids all around Malaysia, exploiting the spectrum to create new online content from e-commerce like Alibaba or Baidu, to entertainment and social networking sites like Youtube or Facebook.

In the case of YTL, our WiMAX plans have already attracted job applicants from America, China and India, as well as Malaysians living and working abroad. In fact, the CEO of YTL Communications, Wing K. Lee, is an American with many technology patents to his name and many more pending.

I like to believe that we are helping to reverse the brain drain. But the simple reality is when any Malaysian business offers exciting employment opportunities, people will come to work in Malaysia. And when intellectual capital pays its dividends, there will be better salaries and improved living standards.

IN a digital age, with commodities and wealth moving at the click of a mouse, it is brutal reality that if we cannot keep up, we will be left behind. But Malaysia’s economy can handle brutal competition. How? With the right policies and not least, with urgency!

First and foremost, we need to send the right signals to entrepreneurs and investors by being a business friendly economy. Entrepreneurs and investors thrive in economies that observe the rule of law, that help them do business with ease and speed, and that value innovation and intellectual capital. Hong Kong, Singapore, Britain and Australia are the epitomes of this business-friendly economy.

For successful entrepreneurs like T. Ananda Krishnan, Tan Sri Robert Kuok and Ranhill’s Tan Sri Hamdan Mohamad, what matters to all of them is whether their business ideas would be implemented quickly enough and without hassle in Malaysia, especially when compared to Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai or Mumbai.

How easy is it to do business in Malaysia? Could they or anyone set up businesses quickly and even online? Or are there walls of bureaucracy and incomprehensible regulations? Does Malaysia have a favourable corporate tax structure? Is it consistent? All these answers hit at the heart of Malaysia’s “friendliness” as a place to do business.

Second, relating to specific industries, the country must decide which are the best policies that will drive growth and continue to promote them. By pushing the 4G spectrum, the Malaysian Government has unleashed the powers of the digital age.

The other “right” policies that come to mind, relate to the retail sector. In 1999, we persuaded the Government to drop duties on branded goods and the Government responded quickly. By implementing duty-free shopping for luxury items and encouraging the building of Bintang Walk, the Government created a “snowball effect” that subsequently transformed Jalan Bukit Bintang from a tired and unsafe area to a centre for retail that is frequented by more and more tourists every year.

In the past 10 or more years, investments poured into Bukit Bintang, resulting in new shopping malls like the Pavilion and new hotels. Property values also shot up from RM200 per sq ft (psf) in 1999 to RM2,000 psf today. Foreign investors have also ploughed billions into this street.

Last month, CNBC showed “A New Malaysia” to millions around the globe. This is indeed a great accolade for what the private sector has done to improve the image of Malaysia globally with the Government’s support.

Last week, the New York Times recommended YTL’s Starhill Gallery Kuala Lumpur as “one of the 31 places to go in 2010.” In fact, it reported that “jetsetters in the region are heading these days to Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital that’s quietly evolved into one of the area’s coolest and friendliest cities.”

Without the two simple and yet practical government policies, one cannot imagine all these wonderful things happening to Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia as a whole.

Is it time for “brutal competition?” Absolutely! We have no time to wait. And to thrive, let the right policies dictate!

● Tan Sri Francis Yeoh is managing director of YTL Corp Bhd.

Broadband competition is expected to intensify this year with YTL Communications Sdn Bhd deploying its nationwide 4G WiMAX network service soon while Telekom Malaysia Bhd would be delivering its high-speed broadband network.

However, P1 chief executive officer Michael Lai said he did not expect a price war as a result of more competition.

“Although we may face challenges to our profit margins, we intend to improve our cost management efforts in order maintain margins,” he told a media briefing yesterday.

P1, which claims to be one of the top four WiMAX operators in the world, plans to continue to improve its network coverage and service quality in Malaysia as part of its efforts to double its subscriber base from about 100,000 in 2009 to 200,000 this year.

Since its inception in August 2008, P1 has managed to boost its subscriber base with its highly talked about “Potong” campaign last year.

However, Lai said the company had lost customers due to network congestion as a result of the quick expansion.

“P1 had tremendously improved its network to date in order to facilitate the strong demand for P1 WiMAX,” he said, adding that P1 had managed to reduce congested sites by 78%.

P1 plans to cover 45% of Peninsular Malaysia’s population this year and to 65% by 2012, with an investment allocation of RM1bil to achieve this target, according to Lai.

Last year, the telco spent over RM400mil in its efforts to cover 35% of the population in Peninsular Malaysia. It aims to deploy WiMAX in east Malaysia by the second half of this year.

As part of its business strategy this year, the telco plans to launch a complement of WiMAX-embedded devices starting with Malaysia’s first WiMAX-embedded netbook developed by Green Packet by the second half.

“The embedded notebook will be a game changer in the wireless broadband industry. This is key in preparing the Malaysian market for more WiMAX-embedded computers coming into the market later this year,” Lai said.

Download / Play

YTL Group’s Managing Director Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh Sock Ping said a 10 per cent increase in broadband penetration would increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 1.5 per cent.

“So, if we have 100 per cent broadband penetration in Malaysia, we can imagine a sustainable GDP growth and job employment possibilities in our country,” he told reporters after the release of a report on Malaysia’s Manufacturing and Services Sectors by the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) Thursday.

Yeoh said as broadband penetration increased, it would provide more job opportunities and attract investments into the country.

“We can attract high skilled people from overseas. We have hired from the United States, some from India and also Malaysians,” he added.

Yeoh also said small-and-medium enterprises would also require good broadband services to communicate and contact their business partners.

YTL Communications is expected to launch its WiMAX services in December after a soft launch in July.

“I believe creative developers are driven by more than money, but this is a terrific way to help them afford to realize their goals,” said Robinson, who has also launched Sonicgleek Productions. “We are looking for software, apps, hardware and even simply well-crafted ideas in the Global Challenge. Everyone has a chance to win; they are only bound by imagination.”

The unique competition is designed to inspire entrepreneurs and innovators around the world to create exciting new 4G mobile Internet products and services principally for Malaysian deployment, and further positions the country as a center of 4G excellence.

‘mYprize’ is a global competition aimed at challenging developers to create original applications and devices for YTL Communications’ nationwide 4G mobile Internet network set to be commercially launched in Malaysia later this year. YTL Communications envisions a modern broadband nation enhanced by the Internet and supports technological innovation. In 2009, it created the YTL 4G Innovation Network and opened a testing center at Sentul Park near Kuala Lumpur that will help to make the mobile Internet a reality.

Developers can submit their entries from now until May 1, 2010. Ideas will be judged based on criteria such as the originality of the concept and its commercial potential. Finalists will be invited to demonstrate their products in person to a panel of expert and community judges. Winners will be announced in September 2010 and cash prizes will be awarded in multiple categories:

1.     Top Applications: 1st: USD$200,000; 2nd: USD$120,000; 3rd: USD$80,000

2.     Top 4G Devices: 1st: USD$200,000; 2nd: USD$120,000; 3rd: USD$80,000

3.     Malaysian Only Prize: USD$120,000

4.     Top Device Idea: USD$40,000

5.     Top Application Idea: USD$40,000

Winning entries may be developed for mass deployment to customers upon launch of YTL Communications’ nationwide 4G network in Malaysia in the second half of 2010.

“We believe this exciting ‘mYprize’ Global Developer Challenge is a strategic impetus in propelling Malaysia into a truly cutting-edge incubation centre for 4G innovations,” said Wing K Lee, Chief Executive Officer of YTL Communications. “We are confident that the applications and devices will help accelerate our mission of providing affordable, world-class quality products and services that improve the way people in Malaysia learn, work and play.”

“Our YTL 4G Innovation Network expands the 4G ecosystem and enables the next wave of mobile Internet innovations by connecting the best minds across the globe in developing new consumer products via YTL’s nationwide 4G mobile Internet network,” Lee continued.

“The network is linked with the Clearwire 4G WiMAX Innovation Network in Silicon Valley, a global hotbed for innovations, and provides developers opportunities for commercialization in Malaysia and beyond. Developers are able to incubate their ideas, with support from the world leaders in mobile Internet, giving people in Malaysia a new level of mobile Internet experience with products and services optimized for a high bandwidth, low latency 4G mobile Internet.”

“We want to give developers the chance to share their innovative ideas on our nationwide wireless broadband network and raise awareness about the scope of the 4G network’s capabilities,” said Wing K Lee, Chief Executive Officer of YTL Communications. “By using Brightidea’s software, it became a relatively quick and seamless process to actualize this contest and create a platform where compelling new ideas on our products and services can be shared and evaluated.”

“YTL’s country-wide 4G network represents a true ‘leapfrog’ of present day technology, offering developers the opportunity to work on the infrastructure of future, today,” said Matt Greeley, CEO of Brightidea. “The million dollar purse represents the largest award ever offered for an open innovation contest of this kind.”

It will hold a contest, called the Global Developer Challenge.

Winning entries may be developed for mass deployment to customers upon the launch of YTL’s nationwide 4G network in the second half of 2010. Developers can submit their entries until May 1 and ideas will be judged based on criteria such as the originality of the concept and its commercial potential.

Finalists will be invited to demonstrate their products in person to a panel of expert and community judges. Winners will be announced in September.

Interested developers can go to www.myprize.my to learn more details, register and submit their entries online.

OSK Research Sdn Bhd (OSK Research) in a research report cited that P1’s subscriber base has risen steadily since its service was commercialised in August 2008.

It noted that the number of new subscribers added jumped from 25,000 in the first quarter of 2009 to 39,000, surpassing that of dominant asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) operator Telekom Malaysia (TM), with P1 getting the largest share of fixed broadband subscriber addition in the third quarter of 2009.

It observed that subscriber additions soared to over 5,000 per week in the months of October and November 2009 from an average of 1,500 to 2,000 per week after the launch of the aggressive ‘Cut Already’ advertising campaign.

This raised its cumulative subscriber base to 125,000 at the end of November 2009.

Meanwhile, P1 was the first WiMAX operator to roll out WiMAX in Asia and also among the earliest to launch the technology globally in August 2008.

In the period of 12 months, P1 managed to capture over 70,000 subscribers, which was a notable achievement.

Presently, P1 commanded a strong lead over three other WiMAX spectrum holders namely, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd (Asiaspace), REDtone International Bhd (REDtone) and Y-Max Networks Sdn Bhd (Y-Max) which is controlled by the YTL Group.

It also noted that while Asiaspace and REDtone have also launched their broadband offerings, their acquisition momentum were lacking behind P1 given their lack of scale and coverage.

On the other hand, Y-Max has revealed that they planned an aggressive roll out of its WiMAX service in July 2010 and the company could emerge as a strong long term competitor to P1 given the strong financial backup from YTL Group.

Further, Y-Max recently signed a wholesale agreement with TM to offer high speed broadband to homes utilizing TM’s high speed broadband (HSBB) network that will be launched in the first quarter of  2010.

Apparently, P1 has the most extensive WiMAX coverage in the country with more than 500 installed sites as at end of October 2009.

Besides that. P1 operates one-stop retail outlets called P1Stop in the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang allowing customers to experience first-hand the quality of its WiMAX service.

The company also has a team of support staff to handle on-site trouble­shooting and off-site technical assistance.

At the meantime, P1’s network operations centre (NOC) provides active surveillance of live sites nationwide with full redundancy support to minimize network interruptions.

According to OSK Research, P1 has fulfilled the conditions under the spectrum award of a minimum coverage of 25 per cent by the end of March 2009.

The company’s WiMAX service is currently available in 10 of the 12 States in Peninsular Malaysia.

The company is working to cover the remaining States, namely Malacca and Kelantan in the next few months to boost its nationwide coverage to 37 per cent from the current 35 per cent.

The research firm noted that the target was to achieve population coverage of 45 per cent by the end of 2011 and 65 per cent of 2012.

Likewise, P1 has been given the go-ahead signal to implement its service in East Malaysia, which is expected to start in the second half of 2010.

Typically, OSK Research noted that P1 has adopted the innovative direct marketing models by Dell Incorporation, AcerIncorporation and Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) allowing customers to ‘dial-a-broadband’ or register a subscription online.

It viewed the direct marketing initiatives by P1 as an inherent part of its overall distribution strategy to keep a tight lid on its subscriber acquisition cost (SAC) through longer term savings in dealer commissions, which made up a significant portion of its overall SAC besides subsidized customer premise equipment (CPE).

In addition, P1 also sells CPEs on an original equipment manufacturers (OEM) basis, competing with equipment manufactures such as US based Motorola Incorporation and Cisco Systems Incorporation.

Following a company visit, the research firm believed that worldwide shipment of WiMAX CPEs have doubled  over the past 12 months due to aggressive deployment and the growing acceptance of WiMAX as a more cost-effective technology for the roll out of broadband.

Interestingly, OSK Research pointed out that Malaysia’s broadband market is on the verge of explosive growth.

It observed that the underserved and insatiable demand for broadband was driven by Malaysia’s low household broadband penetration rate of 25 per cent against Internet penetration rate of 67 per cent.

This situation indicated that there is a large and savvy Internet population still without the access to basic broadband.

In contrast, Singapore’s household broadband penetration including wireless stood at 132.4 per cent while the equivalent for Hong Kong and Taiwan were 79.2 per cent and 66 per cent respectively.

OSK Research forecast that wireless broadband subscribers are expected to grow at a strong compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 69 per cent between financial year 2009 to financial year 2011.

The growth of wireless broadband will be supported by heavy promotions and more attractive deals by existing as well as new mobile or alternative broadband service providers which include TM, increased take-up rate of broadband subscriptions assisted by the RM500 tax relief announced under 2010 Budget and improving nationwide wireless coverage.

The research firm expects the number of wireless broadband subscribers to surpass fixed broadband (ADSL) subscribers in 2010. This will boost broadband penetration level to over 60 per cent by 2011.

P1 also announced that it was awarded a Universal Service Provision (USP) Project worth RM41.5 million from the Government to provide WiMAX to under-served areas in Penang and Kedah.

On the corporate side, Green Packet recently undertook a 1-for-2 rights issue of 197.6 million shares with free warrants attached. The proceeds of the shares sale totalled RM98 million will be utilised for expansion of its WiMAX network and strengthen its cash balance and bank borrowings.

To further strengthen Green Packet’s balance sheet and to make sure the better use of funds to meet forward capital expenditure commitments, Green Packet is in the process of placing out up to 84.8 million shares to raise another RM69 million to RM98 million.

OSK Research observed that the proposal is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2010. Moving forward, the research firm highlighted that P1 is eyeing to penetrate into three new markets by 2012 targeting to capture 1 to 2 million subscribers in each market through joint venture or submitting independent bids for national wireless broadband spectrums.

It believed the immediate target markets are Indochina, Middle East and Indonesia where its parent company, Green Packet has a strong presence there.

At the same time, P1 has ventured into the Singapore market with the acquisition of a facilities-based operator (FBO) licence and the wireless access spectrum rights from Pacnet Ltd for RM6.9 million.

The company was optimistic that the Singapore market represented a lucrative market for its wireless broadband offerings given its rich technology eco-system and rich broadband roaming market.

Financially, Green Packet registered its first net loss of RM55 million in financial year 2008 since its listing as a result of heavy upfront investments in the provision of broadband services.

For the nine months ended September 2009, Green Packet recorded a net loss of RM81.9 million, a four-fold increase in losses year-on-year (YoY).

On the other note, OSK Research estimates that Green Packet’s core losses should peak at around RM117.5 million in financial year 2009 as revenue from its solution sales have recovered from a low of RM0.8 million in the third quarter of 2008 to RM9.6 million in the third quarter of 2009.

The company’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation is expected to break-even in the second quarter of financial year 2010 based on 250,000 broadband subscribers attained.

The research firm highlights that the recovery of its revenue will be supplemented by fresh orders for WiMAX CPEs from customers in markets where WiMAX has been deployed or in various stages of live commissioning.

Therefore, OSK Research maintained its neutral call on Green Packet on its positive outlook pending its target to register 250,000 subscribes for its broadband service in the second quarter of 2010 with a target price of RM1.23 per share.

Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) is expected to deliver its high speed broadband (HSBB) in some areas even if it is for trials. Equally interesting will be Maxis Communications Bhd’s entry, or re-entry to some people, into the fixed broadband market in a way that may surprise many.

Time dotCom Bhd (TDC) – a company many say is history – will re-emerge while YTL Communications Bhd, which has been grossly overselling its WiMAX 4G idea, wants to “sizzle” the market with a grand entry in July.

And don’t discount the smallish Tune Talk.

The company is eager to eat into every operator’s customer base with its smashingly cool pricing.

Just to be in the game, U Mobile managed to launch its broadband service known as XFone at the 11th hour of 2009.

And going by what industry pundits are saying, consumers should be major beneficiaries to the new developments in the sector.

“Competition will be very hot and players will resort to all kinds of tactics to get consumers. Mobility will remain but increasingly the shift towards fixed broadband will take place,’’ an industry player said.

TDC chief executive officer Afzal Abdul Rahim echoes that view and to him the fight between the wireless and fixed broadband players will get “hot” with Maxis’ entry while HSBB will add a new dimension to broadband in the country.

“We are more conservative in our approach but we should worry about Maxis coming into the market place as the levels of competition will increase with the tremendous strength and brand equity they have and they will certainly take a tremendous share of the market and I am sure my friends at TM feel that way too,’’ Afzal told StarBiz.

RedTone International Bhd group CEO Zainal Amanshah said “it will be interesting to see how TM reacts and how YTL, P1 WiMax and U Mobile deliver on (their) promise.’’

Afzal reckons that TM’s market share will be threatened by the other players and that ‘‘Maxis will join the battle and the fixed broadband market has not seen the power, money and brand influence that Maxis has.’’

Since its listing late last year, Maxis has somewhat turned a lot more aggressive and is offering one of the lowest rates for mobile broadband.

For RM38 a month a Maxis postpaid customer is able to get mobile broadband and the deal comes with a four-month free service but the catch is that you have to sign up for a year.

U Mobile’s offer is from a minimum RM6 per day to RM68 for an unlimited monthly data plan.

DiGi.Com Bhd has its own plan of RM48 per month for unlimited monthly data access while P1 WiMAX’s offer is at RM49.

In terms of pricing, experts believe it will come down while the churn rate will rise as consumers go for players that can provide higher bandwidth and uninterrupted services.

Slowly but surely, Maxis has been building its network so that it is able to roll out fixed broadband even if it is only in the corporate and enterprise market which is the same as what TDC is doing.

The speed that TM is pushing to HSBB trial customers is about 15 megabits per second and both it and TDC are already selling 10Mbps to enterprises.

“We don’t expect much growth as it is those with connectivity that will migrate to wired connection,’’ Afzal said.

But analysts believe there will still be growth in the market palace as there will be new subscribers wanting broadband services.

The biggest challenge that fixed or wireless operators will face again this year is the high cost of digging up roads to lay infrastructure.

According to Afzal, capex cost may be a challenge but having to deal with local councils that are not cooperative and those that do not see the rationale of what connectivity brings to their communities will delay broadband penetration to certain areas.

Another industry player who requested anonymity felt that the regulator could do a lot to help players in this aspect rather than just regulating the industry.

“The regulator really needs to find a balance between regulating and facilitating as the latter is vital for the industry to move forward,’’ the player said.

As at end-2009 the broadband penetration rate has inched up to 31.4%, which is above the 30% target set for last year and the 50% mark by year-end seems achievable.

“Yes it is achieveable but is the gap between the urban and rural/semi urban areas being narrow? If not, there needs to be a new measure as penetration rates alone do not tell the whole story. What is the service quality (and speed)? That is what we should be focusing on instead of pure penetration rates,’’ RedTone’s Zainal said.

“We need partners who are passionate about this, understand our challenges and are willing to walk the extra mile to make the difference,” Yap Kok Leong, chief marketing officer, YTL Communications, said.

YTL Communications is partnering with Clearwire, Cisco, GCT and Samsung on the project.

JWT will now work with Agenda to launch a 360-degree marketing communications plan in July 2010.

JWT managing director, Subhendu Mukherjee called the 4G mobile internet network project an “important initiative that will not only improve communications in Malaysia but also drive innovation and investment in the economy.”

Agenda will take on digital duties, and both WPP companies will work to launch a through-the-line communications plan in July 2010.

“We will be building the first nationwide 4G mobile internet network in the world. We need partners who are passionate about this, understand our challenges and are willing to walk the extra mile to make the difference,” said Yap Kok Leong, chief marketing officer, YTL Communications. “We believe JWT can deliver this promise. Together, we will deliver a truly connected life to the Malaysian people.”

Subhendu Mukherjee, MD of JWT Malaysia, added: “We are honoured to be teaming with YTL Communications on this important initiative that will not only improve communications in Malaysia, but also drive innovation and investment in our economy.”

YTL Communications is partnering with Clearwire, Cisco, GCT and Samsung to develop the internet communications plan.

In November, YTL signed an agreement with Telekom Malaysia (TM) to work on its 4G network service.

The 15-year agreement will enable YTL to leverage on TM’s nationwide wholesale ethernet service, high-speed broadband infrastructure and other telecommunications facilities.

In addition to fast-growing 4G WiMAX operator Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1), TM also faces strong competition from Celcom (M) Bhd, Maxis Bhd and DiGi.Com Bhd which continue to aggressively promote their mobile broadband high-speed downlink packet access offerings.

The broadband landscape has intensified where it isn’t just the 3G cellular players like Celcom, DiGi and Maxis that are growing their mobile broadband share. 4G WiMAX operators such as P1 are also giving the celcos a run for their market shares.

Celcom has been doing exceptionally well, with its mobile broadband attracting 114,000 net additions in its second quarter ended June 30. Analysts expect it will report the addition of 300,000 subscribers when it announces its third quarter results next week.

Keen to grab market share from the mobile broadband segment, with the same tenacity it displayed in the fixed broadband segment, P1 is now bundling fixed and nomadic broadband services for users.

The company recently launched a promotional package that comes with a free modem for nomadic broadband services (Wiggy) to subscribers of any of its existing fixed broadband packages now that it has expanded its network to cover 35% of the population.

By the end of the year, P1 targets to deploy an additional 250 base stations, or 50% of its 503 sites as at end-September, as well as to further improve its network quality and expand population coverage to 40%.

P1’s prospects of growing broadband market share is expected to rise with the onset of WiMAX-enabled devices in 2011.

Meanwhile, TM is not resting on its laurels and is now offering most users an upgrade of their speeds at a lower subscription rate than its normal plans but is locking them into a 24-month contract.

Analysts say this should help reduce TM’s churn rate and raise its average revenue per user.

Other WiMAX players such as Asiaspace Sdn Bhd have yet to offer significant competition. In September, Asiaspace garnered a total of 669 subscribers after its inaugural launch.

REDtone International Bhd is presently in the midst of expanding its WiMAX coverage and services in Sabah and Sarawak.

YTL-E Solutions Bhd is the only one of the four 2.3GHz WiMAX licensees that has yet to commercially launch its service. It will be spending RM2.5bil for the rollout.

Needless to say, the broadband pie will only get bigger with the Government’s target to double the country’s current low broadband penetration levels by end of next year.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/30/business/5198882&sec=business

With an investment commitment of some RM2.5 billion, YTL’s proposal won the grudging approval of other WiMAX players in the country, who agree that nationwide connectivity is necessary to unleash the full potential of mobile WiMAX.

Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether the deployment of the network will achieve the lofty goals YTL has set for itself.

Enter Wing K Lee, the newly appointed CEO of YTL Communications. With impressive experience harkening back to his days as a research bigwig at Sprint and Clearwire, Lee, who rolled out earlier generations of data network, is confident that nationwide connectivity within 12 months is a very real possibility.

In his first interview with the press, Lee told The Edge Financial Daily that the introduction of mobile 4G WiMAX was more than the upgrading of existing TECHNOLOGY []; it was an entire “paradigm shift”.

“Think in terms of paradigm shift. I’d hate for people to look at 4G with the lens of 3G,” Lee said. “3G really operates on two different networks. It runs on a circuit switch network for voice and a packet switch network for data.

“If you have a lot of voice, you have less data. If you have more data, you have less voice. It really is a sucker’s choice. In 4G, when you have a pipe much larger, voice just becomes a bicycle on a 4G highway. You can support many bicycles, but at the same time you can support trucks, fast cars, and even vehicles we haven’t seen yet.”

Lee. Photo by Suhaimi Yusuf

Mobile WiMAX is promising to revolutionise the way technology converges with the day-to-day by combining the greater connectivity of WiMAX technology with cellular mobility.

Although mobile broadband is by no means a new technology — mobile telcos have provided for some kind of data connectivity for years now — the increasing number of mobile broadband users and the increasing sophistication of the devices and bandwidth-thirsty applications (apps) have begun to put a strain on existing networks.

Case in point is the data network of AT&T, the largest telco in the US, which according to some experts has become extremely congested owing to the large number of iPhone users who are downloading apps and using apps that require a constant connection to the Internet.

With no direction to go but up for the number of people using such devices, it is almost a certainty that these networks must reach a saturation level at some point in time.

While the debate rages as to whether such networks are meant to handle such a high amount of data traffic while setting aside spectrum capacity for voice traffic, WiMAX, the next-generation technology, is certainly better equipped to do so as it provides a much bigger pipe for data transfers.

The limitation of WiMAX, however, is that its base stations have a broadcast range of three to four kilometres. That being the case, in order for WiMAX to be truly mobile, there needs to be a great number of base stations to ensure that a user does not drop out of service when he travels from area to area, or in the proper terminology, from cell to cell.

So how many WiMAX base stations would it take to create a WiMAX network large enough to cover the whole of Peninsular Malaysia? YTL Communications puts the number at 1,920.

WiMAX is by no means a new technology in Malaysia. But YTL’s proposal, if realised, will be the first to provide true mobility, unlike existing WiMAX service providers that offer only limited coverage and hence limited mobility at  present.

Rolling out in the third quarter of 2010, YTL is promising a nationwide WiMAX network with greater speeds than the existing 3G network, which presently sets the global benchmark for mobile broadband.

But more than just providing a speedy data transfer pipe, YTL is looking to altogether change mobile broadband connectivity, which means developing and incorporating new devices and services.

Recently, YTL launched a technology partnership — billed as an “innovation network” — with key players in the industry including Samsung, Cisco and Clearwire. The goal of this network is ostensibly to further develop WiMAX-related peripherals, which will then be tested on YTL’s infrastructure.

The potential for WiMAX had barely been tapped, Lee said, which explains the importance of the technological partnership described earlier.

Stopping short of giving away any specific devices that YTL had lined up for launch when its network goes live, he said that 4G development, unlike 3G, had more to play with than simply voice and, by extension, handsets.

“3G is still very much, from a paradigm standpoint, stuck with the notion of voice and handsets. 4G does not share the same paradigm. The reason we are lining up with global players such as GCT, is to ensure that WiMAX radio is in as many devices as possible,” he said.

Which is not to say that WiMAX would not pose a challenge to the voice business. Samsung, for example, already has a WiMAX handset in its stable of products. Nonetheless, a mobile handset without a far-reaching enough network is self-defeating as mobility is limited, so it would only be useful in a network where there can be true mobility, say for example YTL’s proposed network.

The expansiveness of YTL’s proposal also makes it a unique testing ground for new innovations in WiMAX, which has so far been limited to relatively localised networks. The new innovative framework — Lee described it as Innovation 2.0 at an earlier function — would allow developers from all over to come up with products that people want.

“The key word is applied innovation. The difference between applied innovation and classic R&D, is that in the latter scenario you basically create a lab environment where lab technicians develop (in isolation),” Lee said.

“Whereas in our case, it’s about open innovation so great ideas from all over the world will find their way into the hands of people. We believe that’s the way to change people’s lives.”

YTL had consistently defended its decision to delay the rollout of its WiMAX services even though it had incurred a fine by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), said YTL Communications’ executive director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong.

“WiMAX is a mobile technology, and not meaningful for us to deploy along the grids of the map,” he said.

“The country is crying for broadband and it makes business sense for us to have it quicker. But we are looking at a world-class standard network with applications, lots of innovations. Getting it right and getting the experience right for the customer is very important for us. So it is important for us to understand that it’s in our interest to do all that.”

WiMAX, theoretically, could become the paradigm changing tool that Lee touts it to be. And if everything goes according to plan, WiMAX could well become the new standard of communication and mobile data.

It is too early to speak of returns on investment, and there is hardly a comparable model anywhere else in the world.

Nonetheless, YTL is committing a lot of resources and money into this project, which for all intents and purposes, is a business model never seen before in Malaysia or the world. But if it does work according to plan, YTL’s venture would certainly put the nation on the global map.

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/business-news/154621-a-call-to-4g-like-no-other.html

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there needs to be broadband penetration on a massive scale for the country to go even further.

He quoted a World Bank report which said that for every 10% increase in broadband penetration there would be a 1.3% increase in economic growth.

He was speaking at a press conference after the IAP meeting on Tuesday.

Najib said the Government’s target of 50% broadband penetration by the end of next year, as outlined in the National Broadband Plan, is achievable. Currently 24% of Malaysian households have broadband.

“TM (Telekom Malaysia) is pushing hard while YTL (one of four WiMAX licence holders) has just launched its 4G (fourth generation wireless broadband) service, he said.

Ng Wan Peng, chief operating officer of the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), also believes the goal is reachable. MDeC is guardian of the MSC Malaysia initiative which was establised to push the country towards a knowledge-based economy.

She said all the industry players are working hard to achieve the broadband penetration target. Also, the industry regulator “the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) is getting tough on players who are not rolling out their broadband services on time,” she added.

Several WiMAX licensees were fined by the SKMM recently for failing to roll out their services according to the timetable.

Ng said the country’s High-Speed Broadband (HSBB) programme would also contribute to an increase in broadband penetration. The project, spearheaded by TM, is set to connect 1.5 million households out of the country’s 5 million by 2012.

C.J. Ang, president of The Association of the Computer and Multimedia Industry of Malaysia (Pikom), said that perhaps the Government is including mobile websurfing in its calculations for broadband penetration, and therefore would be able to meet the set target.

“However, this is not enough. We have only 14 months to go. There should be a massive broadband campaign to go after those households that are not on broadband yet,” he said.

Ang said there is a need for a price reduction for broadband services, in order for the take-up to increase.

“We are beyond strategies now; we have to show the people that broadband can be both empowering and affordable,” he said.

Brian Mefford, chairman and chief executive of Connected Nation, a member of the IAP, said that when broadband was introduced in the US state of Kentucky it helped enhance the livelihood of the rural population.

“They had better access to education opportunities and were better informed,” he said.

Connected Nation is a non-profit organisation that works to accelerate technology availability in rural and underserved areas in the United States.

This year’s IAP meeting is themed Innovation Economy: Paving the Path to Prosperity.

http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2009/11/11/technology/20091111104156

“We are pleased to leverage Mr. Tabassi’s vast experience helping to expand the burgeoning global WiMAX ecosystem,” said YTL Group Managing Director Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr) Francis Yeoh Sock Ping, CBE, FICE. “His insights and guidance will be invaluable as we roll out 4G services to improve the lives of people across Malaysia.”

Mr. Tabassi has more than 20 years of experience in the development, integration and operation of wireless solutions in the telecommunications, networking and IP industries. Prior to joining Clearwire, he was acting CTO and vice president of technology
development and architecture for Sprint Nextel, where he evaluated emerging technologies and new business opportunities to ensure that the company was at the forefront of technology innovation. Before Sprint, Mr. Tabassi was EVP and chief technology and development officer for MobileStar, a provider of wireless broadband access.

Earlier, as vice president of engineering and operations at SkyTel, he managed network planning, system design, project management, implementation, maintenance and operations of SkyTel’s Nationwide Traditional and Advanced Messaging networks. Mr. Tabassi also served as director of engineering services for both Alltel Mobile, the cellular division of ALLTEL Corporation, and for LCC International, a leading telecommunication consulting firm.

Mr. Tabassi holds an MBA and two Bachelor of Science degrees, in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics.

Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, managing director of YTL Corp Bhd, says Starhill Towers and Gallery in Dubai will be completed next year and YTL has agreed to build another in Almaty in the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan. Starhill Gallery, a swanky shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle, was rebranded by Interbrand as a premier mall in 2005 and made Forbes Traveller’s 2007 list of Asia’s Amazing Malls. Last year, YTL signed an agreement with ETA Star Property Developers LLC of the UAE to launch the concept in Dubai. It will be the first development outside Malaysia to carry the Starhill brand.

A much-anticipated event next year is the launch of YTL e-Solutions’ (YTLe) Wimax network which will cost the company RM2.5 billion. “By December next year, the whole country will have access to YTLe’s wireless broadband service,” Yeoh says, adding that he targets 14 million subscribers.

Through YTL Hotel and Properties, the group also owns and operates Pangkor Laut Resort. Last year, YTL reached an agreement to open a version of its award-winning Pangkor Laut resort, also in Dubai.

“Pangkor Laut was named the No 1 resort in the world by Conde Nast Traveller (2003). The brand is so strong they [Dubai] didn’t want to rename it, so when we open in Dubai, it will be Pangkor Laut Dubai,” says Yeoh in an interview with the Edge recently. Like Starhill Towers and Gallery, Pangkor Laut Dubai is scheduled for completion next year.

Aside from these two brands which have helped YTL become international, Yeoh is also extremely proud of Wessex Water, which YTL Power bought in 2002 from a bankrupt Enron for £1.24 billion (RM7 billion). It is currently worth about £2.8 billion, according to Yeoh.

Early this month, Wessex Water was named the best performing water and sewerage company in England and Wales over the last four years by industry regulator Ofwat. Last year, it was bestowed a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Sustainable Development category.

Yeoh attributes Wessex Water’s success to YTL’s policy of holding assets for the long haul, something which provides stability and allows leadership to develop. “When we buy an asset we keep it forever and make it better and better,” he says. YTL’s investment in Lot 10 and Bintang Walk are just two examples of this policy. The recent investment of RM20 million into the shopping mall’s refurbishment included an eco-garden on the roof, a gym and an Actor’s
Studio theatre.

“We bought Starhill and Lot 10 at RM200 per sq ft [psf], now it’s worth about RM2,000 psf. If we didn’t put in money and develop Bintang Walk, it wouldn’t be worth so much and wouldn’t have attracted malls like KL Pavilion;’ says Yeoh.

Increasingly, sustain ability has become the YTL brand’s defining characteristic and the key to its success. Yeoh likes to say that “we are not inheriting the earth from our forefathers, but borrowing it from our children. Since 2007, YTL has been hosting Climate Change Week in Malaysia to promote environmental awareness.

YTL Land & Development Bhd has been busy greening KL with projects that include Sentul Park – a 35-acre park in the heart of the city that’s home to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) – and the roof of Lot 10. “Copy me! I hope everyone copies me and the roofs of KL turn green;’ urges Yeoh.

At present, about 85% of YTL’s business is derived from overseas, and that has helped the company remain relatively unaffected by the downturn, says Yeoh.

YTL’s diversified businesses and strong brand have helped it ride out adverse economic conditions. As Yeoh says, “Whether the economy goes up or down, YTL is secure and well-prepared to weather and take advantage of any financial climate. If the economy goes up, we go up with it. If it goes down, we go shopping!”

15 YTL
Ranking (2008) 16
Brand value (2008) RM781 mil
Brand value (2009) RM740 mil
Main markets Malaysia, Singapore, UK

The Edge Daily, November 22, 2009

The future is green as YTL strives for sustainability while maintaining the stamp of luxury

By Emilyn Tan

He said the usage of 4G wimax will expose every corner in Malaysia to the digital world and gather the best information needed for every aspect of life.

Quoting a report from the World Bank, he said every increment of 10 per cent in broadband penetration for a country will push its economic growth by 12 per cent.

“Can you imagine Malaysia with a very high broadband penetration rate, not only in Klang Valley but throughout the country, the rural, the countryside.

“We cannot build an optic fibre in Jeli (Kelantan), Pekan (Pahang). 4G wimax is the solution,” said Najib at the signing ceremony for the Establishment of a 4G Innovation Network in Malaysia, here.

Najib said Malaysia as a nation has travelled very far from where it started, and strategic initiatives were necessary to ensure its continued growth and success.

The signing ceremony today was for the joint promotion of a YTL led industry partnership, WiMAX Centre of Excellence, and the Malaysian WiMAX Innovation Network in order to introduce the usage of 4G broadband in Malaysia.

YTL is working with Cisco, Clearwater, GST Semiconductor and Samsung to start this initiative while MDeC is participating in order to work towards achieving key objectives under the MSC Malaysia Integrated Content Development (“ICON”) programme to generate the demand for broadband through enablement of compelling online content and applications.

The 4G Innovation Network is being established to facilitate the deployment of YTL’s nationwide 4G service in Malaysia that will offer a high-fidelity Internet experience to people accross the country by the end of next year.

To achieve this, YTL’s 4G Innovation Network in Malaysia will be linked with Clear’s Innovations Network in Silicon Valley to facilitate a free flow of ideas and information across borders.

To inspire the developers who take part in the 4G Innovation Network to create exciting new products and services that address consumers’ needs, YTL Communications will sponsor a global competition-the mY Prize-in 2010. A total of USD 1 million will be awarded to help entrepreneurs and innovators realize their best ideas and then offer them to consumers on a nationwide level. More details will be announced by January. Developers are invited to visit the Company’s web site to request more information at: www.ytlcomms.my.

Besides TM, YTL Com recently signed a similar agreement with Fibrerail to use the latter’s network for back haul infrastructure in town areas for its WiMAX network deployment.

Using TM and Fibrerail’s back haul infrastructure eliminates the need for YTL Com to build its own backhaul infrastructure, thus saving the company millions of ringgit, and such a move quickens the whole process of building its network.

YTL Com executive director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong said Fibrerail’s network would be used to deploy services in the major cities and towns and TM’s in the rural areas. To roll out services by its targeted July timeline, YTL Com needs to add servers at various locations and transmitters to TM’s 200 towers and over 100 of Fibreail’s.

Tan Sri Francis Yeoh (left) at the agreement signing with Datuk Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa.

“The 15-year agreement inked by the two brands will enable YTL Com to leverage on TM’s nationwide Wholesale Ethernet services while riding on the high speed broadband (HSBB) infrastructure, and TM’s other telecommunication facilities to deliver 4G services nationwide by 2010,’’ YTL Corp group managing director Tan Sri Francis Yeoh said at the signing ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. YTL Com is an indirect unit of YTL Corp. The agreements signed were a wholesale Ethernet service and master tenancy for infrastructure sharing.

TM group chief executive officer Datuk Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa added that TM was committed to supporting the wireless broadband service operators in the country via its wholesale business arm.

“By making the network infrastructure open to all licensed access seekers such as YTL Com, TM is keeping its promises for open access,’’ Zamzamzairani reiterated at the event.

Francis declined to say how much the company would be paying for the lease of the back haul infrastructure from TM.

TM’s network has the capability to offer 100 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second. On whether that was adequate for YTL Com to roll out services, Francis said “we believe in the power of fibre optics.’’ Zamzamzairani added that “scalability depends on the electronics (that will be used).’’

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/19/business/5139181&sec=business

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is said to have issued letters on the fines to the WiMAX operators more than a week ago.

The players fined are YTL e-Solutions (RM1.9mil), AsiaSpace (RM1.7mil) and REDtone International (RM200,000) for failure to meet the 25% population coverage by the end of March.

The quantum correlates to the level of coverage achieved as at the deadline. However, all three players are appealing against their fines.

Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, head of the YTL Group, told StarBiz that YTL e-Solutions would appeal against the decision on the basis that the company would be ahead of the next roll-out target of 40% by mid-2011.

“We believe in having an extensive network up and running as we don’t see the point in having incremental coverage.

“We take this business seriously. We will have 60% coverage (more than the needed 40%) by the next deadline,” he said.

Another industry player, who declined to be named, said his company had faced a myriad of issues in rolling out its network, especially in relation to obtaining approvals and the land needed to put up the base stations.

“It takes a long time for these government approvals. And if the land is privately owned, prices can be prohibitive for us. This makes it almost impossible to roll out.

“If we were helped with these issues, then it would be fair to impose a fine on us. But these problems are beyond our control,” he said.

REDtone CEO Zainal Amanshah said the company had written to the MCMC numerous times complaining that the block of spectrum allocated to it was not ideal as it was closer to the WiFi frequency and hence there were technical difficulties in its roll-out.

“Only after two years were we provided the correct spectrum,” he said.

REDtone, which is licensed to only operate in east Malaysia, also had to contend with difficulties in securing backhaul services from Telekom Malaysia Bhd, he said.

As at March, REDtone’s roll-out had covered about 13% of the population of Sabah and 19.3% of Sarawak, according to Zainal.

But it is understood that MCMC’s findings show a lower rate of coverage.

Sources close to the MCMC said the regulator has been reviewing the appeals made.

But for payment of the fines, the regulator has already cashed in bank guarantees these companies had provided when they received their licences in 2007.

Each of the WiMAX licensees had provided the MCMC with a RM1mil bank guarantee.

Their bankers are now said to be nervous about this development and are reviewing existing facilities.

The decision of the MCMC to fine the players has been widely speculated.

Last December, then Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the Government would withdraw licences from players who could not show good reasons why they are not able to roll out according to proposed plans.

More recently, Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said the MCMC should ensure that providers had delivered on what they had promised.

To be sure, the fines imposed will not seriously dent the balance sheets of the companies involved, considering the huge amounts of money involved in the WiMAX business.

YTL plans to invest up to RM2.5bil over the next five years for its WiMAX roll-out while AsiaSpace is looking at raising RM300mil, having invested close to RM100mil so far. REDtone is looking at raising RM40mil.

What these players worry more about is losing their licence altogether. It is unclear if the MCMC will reach that stage, considering that the small fines they have imposed have drawn lengthy appeals from all three players.

Spectrum management has long been a contentious issue, with questions having been asked on whether the right parties were picked.

It has also been questioned whether the authorities had been lackadaisical in enforcing deadlines and withdrawing the spectrum rights from those who did not use them.

However, as this case indicates, rolling out a telecommunications network can be fraught with difficulties and complications.

It will be just as challenging to manage that spectrum.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/10/28/business/4988870&sec=business

This will thrust Malaysia forward in terms of innovation and Internet connectivity as the initiative makes Malaysia the test bed for WiMAX content and devices which can be marketed globally.

At the same time, the initiative harnesses talent globally and it will have a connectivity to the best minds in Silicon Valley, making it an attractive proposition for device vendors that want to create devices for WiMAX, which are presently very limited.

A total of US$1mil will be awarded to help bring the best ideas to fruition but competition details will only be announced in January.

“Together we will help advance the country’s mission to become a truly innovation-led economy as well as YTL’s mission to provide affordable, world-class quality products and services that improve the way people in Malaysia learn, work and play,” YTL group managing director Tan Sri Francis Yeoh said yesterday at a signing ceremony to mark the launch of Malaysia’s first 4G innovation network.

YTL Com’s partners are the big boys in the technology business such as Cisco, US-based Clearwire, CGT Semiconductor Inc and Samsung.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who witnessed the signing, said “as a nation we have travelled very far and Malaysia has transformed by leap and bounds. Just because we are successful once, twice or more times, there is no guarantee we will be successful (always).”

He said if Malaysia did not take the necessary policy or strategic initiatives it could be left behind.

He wants Malaysia to transform itself and become the beacon of hope not only for Malaysians but the rest of the world and the only way to do that was to innovate and for this, broadband was vital.

Najib cited a World Bank report that said a 10% broadband penetration increased economic growth by 1.3%.

“Imagine Malaysia with high broadband penetration which is not only in the Klang Valley but in the rural country-side where fibre cannot be put, and where WiMAX 4G is the solution.”

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/11/business/5083454&sec=business

Samsung says that as UQ Communications’ major mobile WiMAX equipment vendor, it already has deployed mobile WiMAX in major metro centers of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. UQ launched commercial mobile WiMAX service in July.

The latest contract is for mobile WiMAX base stations for delivery early next year; the value of the contracts was not disclosed.

Samsung also said it has joined the WiMAX Center of Excellence, led by YTL Communications in Malaysia. Other global companies in the WiMAX industry such as Clearwire, Cisco and GCT Semiconductor also participate in the program. Samsung will take the role of knowledge provider and technical assistant, providing its interoperability test lab in Malaysia for approved developers.

The news comes as Samsung is hosting a group of U.S. journalists this week in its homeland to highlight the work it has done in WiMAX. An estimated 250,000 people are using commercial WiMAX services in South Korea.

Samsung is one of the vendors for Clearwire, which just got an infusion of $1.56 billion in cash as part of a new equity investment round.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2009/11/Samsung-Asian-WiMAX-Contracts/

Tomorrow, the YTL Power Bhd unit is slated to sign agreements with several partners, including US-based chipmaker GCT Semiconductor Inc, to fund a global programme to get innovators and creators from all over the world to develop applications for WiMAX.

This move may also see device makers using Malaysia as their springboard to test their WiMAX-enabled devices.

Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong: ‘What we are building is a new 4G highway.’

Globally, there are pockets of areas where WiMAX technology is deployed to push wireless services, but the lack of devices or applications allows limited mass adoption.

“What we are building is a new 4G highway that would be available nationwide and this will enable people to ride on a higher plane with our mobility solutions,” YTL Com executive director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong said.

“At the same time, we are stimulating innovation which will transform Malaysia into an innovative network centre,’’ he said, but declined to elaborate on the innovation fund that would be launched tomorrow.

Yeoh said Malaysians would get a complete solution for work, play and relaxation with the company’s offering and reckoned the deployment of WiMAX in the country would be faster than anywhere in the world.

YTL Com is investing RM2.5bil for the nationwide roll-out and has teamed up with several international partners to deploy its network.

The WiMAX Forum claims that 504 operators in 145 countries have deployed WiMAX. Many use the older 802.16d technology that cannot provide mobile services but YTL Com is opting for the 4G WiMAX which can provide complete mobility solutions.

It is reported that Sprint, Clearwire and Comcast in the United States, UQ Communications in Japan, and Yota in Russia are all aggressively rolling out mobile-capable 4G networks using the current version of WiMAX, 802.16e (2 to 10 Mbps), in urban markets where they will inevitably compete with 3G and, later, long-term evolution providers.

Asked about the pricing for the services, Yeoh said it was not ready yet, but added: “From a pricing point of view, it has to be relevant even though we are investing and our shareholders will demand that we make money.’’

YTL Com is out to get a share of the under-served market and about 75% of Malaysia’s population are without Internet. “We are here not to compete but to create new markets,’’ he told StarBiz.

The company recently appointed Wing K. Lee its chief executive officer. Lee was formerly with Clearwire where he led the next-generation mobile Internet device development. Clearwire is YTL Com’s technology partner. Prior to that, Lee spent 15 years at Sprint Nextel.

“A pipe is nothing if there are no applications. When there is innovation, it does not take long for mass adoption (of a service),’’ Lee said.

Three of the four WiMAX spectrum holders have rolled out services in select areas but none on a scale that YTL Com has in mind.

The company was slapped with a RM1.9mil fine for failure to meet stipulated targets in its WiMAX roll-out. Yeoh said the company had filed an appeal with the industry regulator against the fine and was awaiting a response.

Despite the fine, he said the company would go ahead with its plans to roll out the service next year.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/11/9/business/5063843&sec=business

According to local media reports, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) earlier this month sent letters containing the result of its audit on network coverage by the four WiMax licensees. The regulator had reportedly instructed a drawdown of the performance bond or bank guarantee parked as a way to compel compliance.

The penalties are seen as a sign the government is losing patience with the mobile operators, which were awarded WiMax licenses in March 2007.

The MCMC then had given licensees until year-end to ensure their network coverage spanned 25 percent of the population in their allotted areas. It later extended the deadline to end-2008 and issued a warning that failure to comply could result in licenses being revoked. Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim also recently reminded the MCMC to ensure providers delivered on what they had promised.

Only Packet One Networks (P1) met the target and was spared the indignity of being sanctioned.

YTL E-Solutions, the only licensee that has yet to roll out commercial services, received the heftiest penalty of 1.9 million ringgit (US$555,190). Asiaspace was fined 1.7 million ringgit (US496,750), while REDtone International escaped with a lower 210,000 ringgit (US$61,363) penalty.

License safe, awaiting appeals
For now, at least, the three companies have dodged the bullet and will retain their licenses.

YTL E-Solutions, part of Malaysian conglomerate YTL Group, and REDtone have appealed against the fines meted out by MCMC. In a statement Thursday, YTL-E said its WiMax-subsidiary Y-MAX Networks (YMN) was awaiting a response from the MCMC.

The operator said it failed to meet the requirement due to a change in its business plan, deciding to build a nationwide network instead of a piecemeal rollout. This revised deployment would result in YMN exceeding the targeted coverage stated by the MCMC “by next year”, the company said.

REDtone Group CEO Zainal Amanshah admitted the company had been fined and had submitted an appeal asking to be spared the cash penalty.

“We have made a strong appeal because we know we have done everything in our power to fulfil our commitments. We are discussing this issue with MCMC and we believe MCMC will consider the merits of our appeal and do the right thing by retracting the fine,” Zainal said, in a report by The Edge Financial Daily.

YTL had planned to invest up to 2.5 billion ringgit (US$731 million) over the next five years for its WiMax rollout, while AsiaSpace was looking to raise 300 million ringgit (US$87.7 million) after investing close to 100 million ringgit (US$29.2 million) to date. REDtone had planned to raise 40 million ringgit (US$11.7 million).

P1 said it has invested 300 million ringgit (US$87.7 million) and plans to invest another 1 billion ringgit (US$292.2 million) over the next five years.

Its relative success in the market has seen P1 being given greater leeway by the MCMC, which earlier this month gave the go-ahead for the company to expand its services into East Malaysia–previously REDtone’s exclusive designated operating area.

P1, YTL E-Solutions and Asiaspace’s area of operation was limited to Peninsular Malaysia, while REDtone’s was limited to the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

P1 also has plans to expand across the region in a bid to build up its WiMax business. Its parent company Green Packet, through its newly incorporated subsidiary Packet One Singapore, last week inked an agreement to take over Pacnet’s Facilities-based Operator (FBO) license and Wireless Broadband Access (WBA) rights in Singapore. The deal, if approved, will effectively allow P1 to provide WiMax services in the island-state.

http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62058985,00.htm

A 4G Innovation Network will help facilitate YTL Communications Sdn Bhd’s 4G (fourth generation) wireless broadband service across the nation next year.

The network will be employed to develop applications and devices for use with its 4G mobile Internet service, said Wing K. Lee, chief executive officer of YTL Communications.

He was speaking at a press briefing on the sidelines of the International Advisory Panel meeting in Putrajaya last week.

One of the four WiMAX ­licensees in the country, YTL will design, build and operate the 4G infrastructure and network, which is scheduled to be ­operational by end 2010.

It has partnered with Cisco Systems Inc, Clearwire Communications, GCT Semiconductor Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to develop the 4G Innovation Network.

YTL describes 4G as the next-generation mobile broadband technology that combines the convenience of a WiFi hotspot with the mobility of a cellular service, and provides high-speed connections at low cost.

The service provider, which is competing against the other WiMAX licensees Packet One Networks, Redtone International and Asiaspace, declined to reveal how fast its 4G service would be or unveil its pricing structure.

“Our 4G products and services will be optimised to provide high bandwidth with low latency,” Lee said.

He also said the service would give Malaysians a truly connected lifestyle, with new levels of communication freedom.

Some 4G services that have been highlighted in the past include anytime, anywhere e-mail access and instant ­messaging, Internet browsing, social networking, and location-based services.

4G is claimed to be faster and more efficient at transferring data packets than 3G (third-generation) technology. This would be most useful to users who watch streaming video on handheld devices or make video calls.

Many hands

US-based Clearwire brings its suite of advanced high-speed Internet services for consumers and businesses to the ­partnership.

It will also support approved application-developers by ­providing access to software developer kits, to help bring the best options to YTL’s service subscribers.

Clearwire now provides 4G services using WiMAX technology in 16 markets. It also provides pre-WiMAX communications services in 40 markets across the United States and Europe.

Cisco will help build and ­integrate YTL’s WiMAX core network, as well as offer ­interoperability testing labs to quickly develop and launch new services for YTL.

GCT is the primary chipset provider for the initiative, ­offering 4G-enabled devices to aid in the application ­development and testing phases of the project.

Samsung will serve as technical advisor during the 4G Innovation Network’s ­rollout and will support approved developers in testing the interoperability of proposed applications prior to launch.

YTL is building a state-of the-art complex in Sentul Park, Kuala Lumpur, that will house its network operations centre, ­datacentre and testbed facilities for its 4G Innovation Network. This will open early next year.

To encourage application developers to build services and devices for the 4G Innovation Network, YTL will sponsor a global competition in 2010, with a total of US$1mil (RM3.4mil) in prizes.

http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2009/11/17/itfeature/5085071&sec=itfeature

To inspire the developers who take part in the 4G Innovation Network to create exciting new products and services that address consumers’ needs, YTL Communications will sponsor a global competition—the mY Prize—in 2010. A total of Rs.4.88 crore ($1 million) will be awarded to help entrepreneurs and innovators realise their best ideas and then offer them to consumers on a nationwide level. More details will be announced by January.

“YTL Communications is proud to take a leadership role amidst this prestigious group and equally as proud of Malaysia for having what it takes to attract interest and commitment from top players in technology,” said YTL group managing director Tan Sri Dato Francis Yeoh Sock Ping, CBE, FICE. “Together, we will help to advance the country’s mission to become a truly innovation-led economy as well as YTL’s mission to provide affordable, world-class quality products and services that improve the way people in Malaysia learn, work and play.”

YTL CEO Wing Lee added, “The Innovation Network will facilitate the development of applications and devices that will take advantage of 4G mobile Internet and which will give people in Malaysia a truly connected lifestyle and new levels of communication freedom.”

The 4G Innovation Network is being established to facilitate the deployment of YTL’s nationwide 4G service in Malaysia that will offer a high-fidelity Internet experience to people across the country by the end of 2010. To achieve this, YTL’s 4G Innovation Network in Malaysia will be linked with Clear’s Innovation Network in Silicon Valley to facilitate a free flow of ideas and information across borders. Importantly, developers worldwide will have the chance to commercialise their work on a national scale in Malaysia.

“YTL’s 4G Innovation Network in Malaysia will expand the 4G ecosystem by linking Malaysian and other Asian developers directly with some of the world’s most creative minds in Silicon Valley, in order to share ideas while testing services designed to enhance the 4G mobile Internet experience,” said Ali Tabassi, senior VP, global ecosystem and standards for Clearwire. “Fostering development of the first generation of true mobile broadband services helps to fulfil our goals of changing the way people access the Internet and providing new opportunities for mobile applications.”

“This network is truly transformational—one of the first in the world to offer converged services over a wireless network. We expect that it will help drive competitiveness for Malaysia; as we have consistently seen that those countries that use technology strategically are the countries that lead economically, socially and environmentally,” said Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer and executive VP, Cisco. “Cisco’s leadership in this effort highlights our continued commitment to innovate and provide new business models to cater to the diverse needs of our customers worldwide.”

“We expect that the 4G Innovation Network in Malaysia will take a leading role in developing and expanding WiMAX all over Asia Pacific,” said Woonsub Kim, executive VP and head of the telecommunication systems division, Samsung. “By bringing the technical know-how it has accumulated through numerous commercial WiMAX businesses, Samsung will contribute to the successful establishment of the Malaysian 4G Innovation Network.”

“We look forward to bringing our expertise to the 4G Innovation Network and empowering YTL to further advance its 4G wireless services in Malaysia,” said Kyeongho Lee, CEO of GCT. “We believe this partnership will offer an excellent platform to share ideas and accelerate 4G application development and the launch of innovative device and terminal products.”

http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800589524_1800005_NT_3d808529.HTM

A graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, US, Lee has worked for 15 years at Sprint Nextel, where he held senior management positions driving product development for the company’s WiMAX division.

He also founded and managed Sprint’s Technology Innovation Programme, and led Enterprise Architecture for the launch of the first nationwide wireless data network in the US.

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20091105003121/Article/