Malaysian Wimax operator P1 has announced plans to conduct a TD-LTE trial by the end of the year, with a view to launching commercial services not long after.
P1 CEO Michael Lai told a press briefing that the operator has requested permission from regulator MCMC to offer LTE services, and was now just waiting for the go-ahead, Business Times reported.
The operator intends to upgrade its existing Wimax sites to dual-mode Wimax and TD-LTE base stations, and Lai said P1 plans for both technologies to co-exist.
The Star Onlinereported that the TD-LTE upgrade would begin after the technology and supported devices reach maturity – expected by end-2012.
But Lai also said the timing of its rollout would depend on when major Chinese and Indian operators commence commercial deployment of LTE.
China's telecom ministry last month stated it doesn't expect large-scale LTE deployments until 2014, but TD-LTE co-developer China Mobile has a more ambitious schedule.
P1 currently has around 300,000 subscribers for its Wimax network, which now covers 45% of Malaysia's population.