Malaysian mobile network operator U Mobile and Chinese vendor ZTE have entered into a strategic partnership which will see the latter extend U Mobile’s Dual Carrier HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+) network in the central, northern and western regions of the country by the end of the year. ‘We are very pleased to have ZTE as our strategic partner to enhance and extend our 3G high speed network from the Central Region to other major cities and areas across Malaysia,’ noted Dr. Kaizad Heerjee, CEO of U Mobile.
According to Bernama, under the three-year partnership agreement between the two companies ZTE will also deploy Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology; the duo has already reportedly completed a pilot of the 4G technology. A commercial launch, however, remains dependent on regulatory matters, with Dr Heerjee noting that the award of 4G licences by the Malaysian Communications and Competition Commission (MCMC) will govern the timing of U Mobile’s LTE launch. Commenting on the decision to examine 4G technology the U Mobile head added: ‘Together with ZTE, we aim to deliver the benefits of the highest speed mobile broadband service to our customers. The introduction of this mobile broadband network is a strategic impetus to our ambition of becoming a major player in Malaysia’s fast-growing mobile data market.’