Less than a week after reports that nine companies were set to be handed frequencies in the 2600MHz band in Malaysia, the Star Online is claiming that a number of those have received letters from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) confirming the spectrum allocation. It is believed that those companies that have been informed of the allocation have been told the frequencies cannot be used until after 1 January 2013, and while the regulator is assigning 20MHz of bandwidth per player the exact locations of each block have yet to be decided. Information regarding the fees for the new frequencies has also still yet to be announced.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, those companies thought to be in the frame for spectrum are the country’s four mobile network operators – Celcom Axiata, DiGi, Maxis and U Mobile – and four WiMAX players – Asiaspace, Packet One Networks, REDtone and YTL Communications – with the final block rumoured to be set aside for a company linked to billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukary.