Maxis Broadband available in Penang

November 9, 2006

Maxis Communications, a Malaysian mobile operator, announced it has expanded its broadband footprint to potentially serve upwards of 20,000 households in Penang.

This will give consumers in Northern Malaysia more choice for residential broadband service, enabling Internet connection of up to 768kbps in Tanjung Bungah, Bayan Baru, Bukit Jambul, Pulau Tikus and selected parts of Georgetown, with more areas to follow.

Maxis Chief Executive Officer, Dato' Jamaludin Ibrahim said, "The Penang rollout ensues on the back of positive feedback from our customers about the reliability and affordability of Maxis Broadband. Now, people need not have a fixed telephone line to enjoy broadband access.

"We have the confidence in our product and will continue to build broadband hub coverage in town centres - where the need is greater - before extending it to the rest of the nation. Our plan is to have Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Bahru adequately provisioned with broadband by the first quarter of next year."

"Our ambition is to support the Government's MyICMS objectives and offer broadband on a large, national scale to residential users," said Jamaludin.

The company has spent RM5 million to deploy HSDPA across Penang on top of its 3G network investment in delivering affordable, reliable mobile broadband services to its customers. It is expected that Maxis will invest some RM700 million to build out its broadband services over the next 3 years.

Two broadband packages bundled with home voice service are available, with monthly fees at RM68 and RM98 respectively, inclusive of modem rental. The RM68 package offers speeds up to 384 kbps, while the latter offers speeds up to 768 kbps. There will be a one time RM100 activation fee and a RM88 installation charge.