Following rumours that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had recently advised a number of operators that they were being allocated spectrum in the 2600MHz band, both Packet One Networks (P1) and REDtone have confirmed that they will receive such frequencies. According to two separate reports by local new source Bernama, both P1 and REDtone, which offer commercial WiMAX services in Malaysia, have said that they had been informed by the MCMC of the spectrum allocation, with the companies now required to submit detailed business plans regarding their proposed use for the frequencies. It was also confirmed that both operators had been advised they would be given bandwidth totalling 20MHz, although the regulator has not yet decided the location of the block, while the spectrum will not be made available until 1 January 2013.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, earlier this month it was claimed that the MCMC was preparing to hand out nine blocks of spectrum suitable for Long Term Evolution (LTE) services, with four mobile network operators – Celcom Axiata, DiGi, Maxis and U Mobile – and four WiMAX players – Asiaspace, Packet One Networks, REDtone and YTL Communications – expected to be handed the frequencies, with the final block rumoured to be set aside for a company linked to billionaire Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukary.