Vendors gear up for 3G demand

With the first commercial launches of Malaysian 3G services looming, there are still only a handful of 3G handsets available to mobile phone users in the country, with most manufacturers apparently awaiting the actual launches to make a full range of units available. Celcom, owned by Telekom Malaysia, is planning to launch UMTS services on 17 May and has told local press that it expects there to be sufficient supply of handsets to meet demand. According to rival Maxis, there will be more than 25 3G-capable models on the market by the second half of the year. Maxis is scheduled to launch 3G by July; according to company officials its UMTS network is already operational, with 300 base stations installed so far.