P1 to invest MYR200 million in network development in 2011

Malaysian WiMAX provider Packet One (P1) has revealed that in a bid to enhance capacity and increase its coverage to 52% in West Malaysia it will invest a further MYR200 million (USD65.4 million) in its operations this year, Bernama reports. With the wireless broadband operator currently reporting coverage of around 45% in West Malaysia, P1 CEO Michael Lai has said that extending the network footprint along with improving the quality of service remains the main focus. The executive also noted that his company’s partnership with South Korean mobile operator SK Telecom (SKT) had strengthened growth; as previously reported by CommsUpdate, in June 2010 SKT became the second-largest shareholder in P1, acquiring a 25.8% stake for USD100 million. According to Lai, the South Korean investor has added value through the implementation of an operations efficiency programme that has made significant improvements in the way P1 operates its WiMAX business. P1 has also seemingly seen benefits from the SKT partnership in terms of subscriber uptake; having reported 218,000 customers at end-September 2010 the operator claims to have now increased this to 280,000.