TM in talks with 13 firms on broadband wholesale services

TELEKOM Malaysia Bhd (TM) (4863) is in discussions with 13 potential companies for its high-speed broadband (HSBB) wholesale services.TM group chief executive officer, Datuk Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, said the HSBB wholesale service has been made available since last month and negotiations are ongoing with access-seekers on a one-to-one basis.

TM's wholesale offerings comprise three services - HSBB (transmission), HSBB (access) and HSBB (connection) services.Zamzamzairani said the companies concerned included those involved in providing WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), content providers and mobile and telecom players.

"For the wholesale service, we have to engage and understand their business requirements. The service delivered to them is customised and peculiar to their needs. It takes time to do this," he told reporters after the launch of physical work for HSBB access infrastructure in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Information, Communication and Culture Minister, Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim, launched the ceremony to mark the commencement of the work.Also present were Federal Territories Minister Senator Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and TM chairman Tan Sri Md Radzi Mansor.

Zamzamzairani said TM has commenced physical work for the laying of HSBB access infrastructure in 22 exchange areas around the country that would be covered by the initial rollout of the services.

He said the roll-out in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Bangsar, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam was expected to be completed by year-end."Fibre access work related to the coming HSBB network is now in full swing," he said.

Zamzamzairani said TM is also targeting HSBB retail service commercial roll-out for consumers and businesses in the first quarter of next year.Under the Public Private Partnership agreement with the government, signed on September 16 last year, TM would invest RM8.9 billion of its own money over 10 years to finance the HSBB network infrastructure roll-out, while the government would co-invest RM2.4 billion, making up the total of RM11.3 billion.

"About 1.3 million premises nationwide will have access to HSBB by 2012."HSBB offers bandwidth at network speeds of 10 megabits/second (Mbps) and above, while broadband for general population delivers at network speeds of 384 Kbps (kilobit/second) to four Mbps," he said.

Zamzamzairani said the HSBB roll-out would be focused on Zone One, a high economic impact areas, namely, Inner Klang Valley, Iskandar Malaysia and key industrial zones throughout the country."The HSBB is expected to contribute 0.6 per cent to gross domestic product and create 100,000 jobs by 2017," he said. - Bernama