Malaysia’s smallest mobile network operator by subscribers, U Mobile, has announced that it has expanded its Dual Carrier HSPA+ (DC-HSPA+) footprint to the Klang Valley, Seremban and Port Dickson, just a month after it revealed that the high speed mobile broadband technology had been introduced in Johor Bahru. On the back of the development U Mobile claims that it now has the highest number of commercially-ready DC-HSPA+ sites in the country, with the total now standing at more than 1,300. Offering theoretical downlink speeds of up to 42Mbps, DC-HSPA+ is now expected to be introduced in Penang in the coming months. Commenting on the development, Dr. Kaizad Heerjee, U Mobile’s CEO, said: ‘This announcement has brought new levels of connectivity and mobility to internet users as never before. It is also a realisation of the commitment we have made to our customers in October last year … For the remainder of the year, we will continue to innovate and grow our fastest internet speed coverage area to ensure more users nationwide will be able to enjoy this exceptional service.’
As noted in TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, in September 2010 U Mobile announced that it had upgraded one of its base stations with DC-HSPA+ technology. The operator said at that date that the cell site, located in Berjaya Times Square in the capital Kuala Lumpur, would shortly be ready to offer commercial services. Subsequently, in March 2011 U Mobile and Chinese vendor ZTE entered into a strategic partnership which will see the latter extend U Mobile’s DC-HSPA+ network in the central, northern and western regions of the country by the end of 2011.