Pilot 3G services to be launched by July

Malaysian mobile operators Telekom Malaysia and Maxis have announced plans to jointly roll out a 3G pilot network in the first half of this year, with Telekom hoping to launch pilot services by July and Maxis by early 2004. The two companies have pledged to spend a combined MYR7.5 billion (USD2 billion) on the technology over the next ten years, MYR4 billion of which will come from Telekom and MYR3.5 billion from Maxis’ subsidiary UMTS Sdn Bhd. Both companies paid MYR50 million for their 3G licences last July and were given permission to start building their networks last month. The Malaysian government has said it expects Telekom to launch 3G commercially in early 2004 in the Central, Northern, Southern and Eastern districts of the country covering the Multimedia Super Corridor areas of KLCC, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Cyberjaya, with 80% coverage of the population expected by 2010. Maxis, on the other hand, is expected to launch a commercial service at the end of 2004 in KLCC, Sunway, Subang Jaya, Putra Jaya and Cyberjaya.