MCMC assigns 4G technology spectrum to 9 Malaysian telcos

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 — Nine companies have been assigned the 2600MHz spectrum band to roll out wireless broadband services using 4G technology by January 1, 2013, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced today.

The companies include existing 3G and WiMAX players, and a new entrant.

They are Celcom Axiata Berhad, Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, U-Mobile Sdn Bhd, Asiaspace Sdn Bhd, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, RedTone Marketing Sdn Bhd, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd and Puncak Semangat Sdn Bhd.

4G refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless standards. It is a successor to 3G and 2G families of standards.

The decision to award to the nine was made after a consultative and deliberation process with various technical groups, MCMC said in a statement here.

MCMC also stressed that these companies were required to pay fees in order to use the spectrum band and would not receive grants of any kind from MCMC or the Universal Service Provision (USP) Fund for the utilisation of the spectrum.

(The USP Fund is for the development and deployment of communications facilities for rural development).

[Source: BERNAMA]

1. It seems that Malaysia will be one of the earliest countries in the world to have issued the 4G spectrum
2. All the existing mobile and WiMAX operators have been given the spectrum.
3. It also doesn't mean this 4G spectrum would be LTE only since WiMAX can also be the 4G technology.
4. The final 4G technology will be announced in WRC 2011 next year by ITU.
5. The leading contenders would be LTE Advanced and WiMAX 802.16m.