Malaysia’s largest mobile network operator by subscribers, Maxis, has revealed that it may be open to network sharing agreements with other cellcos, citing the possibilities for reducing operational costs while expanding coverage as one of its key motivators. According to Bernama, Maxis CEO Sandis Dap said of such plans: ‘Maxis has an open mind to share the network infrastructure with whoever, even with a new player, especially for new territories and areas … However, we are not making any announcement on this matter, but we are definitely willing to share the network.’ The announcement comes just a few days after Maxis rivals Celcom and DiGi Telecommunications announced that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at considering long-term infrastructure collaboration, as previously reported by CommsUpdate.
Maxis has also announced that it had set aside MYR1.4 billion (USD427.9 million) for investment in 2010, with the funds expected to be put towards increasing the coverage of the operator’s high speed wireless broadband network and an expansion of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband services. In addition, Maxis’ chief operating officer, Jean Pascal Van Overbeke, has said that preparations for the launch of IPTV services are well underway, noting: ‘In the third quarter this year, Maxis will have a soft launch and hope our customers can try the service and give their feedback before the official launch later.’