Malaysia offers two more 3G licences

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has announced that it will open tenders for two UMTS mobile licences on 22 August 2005, and expects to receive bids by 11 November. The regulator held the country’s first 3G auctions in 2002, awarding concessions to Celcom and Maxis Communications, both of which launched 3G services earlier this year. This time around, the country’s smallest mobile operator, DiGi Telecommunications, is expected to bid for one of the USD14.6 million licences on offer. Another potential applicant is Hong Kong’s Hutchison Telecommunications, which has been quoted by the Hong Kong press recently as saying it intends to build a high speed wireless network in Malaysia.