MCMC completes WiMAX evaluation

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has completed its evaluation of the WiMAX 2.3GHz spectrum and has made recommendations on which operators should be awarded concession, according to MCMC chairman Dr Halim Shafie. However, he declined to make public the commission’s recommendations, or even reveal the number of concessions to be awarded. The government had previously said that up to four blocks of spectrum would be up for grabs, but that it was looking to award only two concessions initially. ‘At our end, we already completed the evaluation and we are in the process of sending it to the [communications] ministry,’ Halim said. Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik last year ordered a halt to the original WiMAX auction saying that the tender specifications were not in line with the ministry’s industry development blueprint. However last November the ministry gave MCMC the go-ahead to evaluate some 17 applications. Three of the country’s four 3G licensees – Telekom Malaysia, Maxis Communications and MiTV Corp – are among applicants. Only Time dotCom chose not to participate. The other bidders are DiGi.Com, NasionCom, REDtone-CNX Broadband, MIB Comm, Jaring Communications, Asiaspace dotcom, Celcom Timur (Sabah), Fibrecomm Network (M), SGR Capital, GO Lightspeed Broadband, Bizsurf (M), IP Mobility, Optical Communications Engineering and Electcoms Wireless.