Rozaimy Rahman, Executive Vice President for Global & Wholesale at Telekom Malaysia (TM) talks about the challenges of rolling out LTE in Malaysia, and how network-sharing partnerships can benefit operators and end users alike
Telecomasia.net: Given the huge cost of deploying LTE infrastructure, telcos are increasingly looking at network sharing. What are the main benefits of driving this trend?
Rozaimy Rahman: We are seeing an accelerated pace in the adoption of LTE technology by mobile network operators (MNOs). The introduction of any new technology that requires nationwide deployment will involve a huge amount of capex. In a time where there is a greater emphasis on managing cost, an investment at this scale might be seen as counter-intuitive to any company’s cost management initiative.
Network sharing promotes a more efficient infrastructure management. Players who offer this kind of services can benefit from the economies of scale generated through handling the backhaul requirement of multiple operators.
The ability to quickly ramp up the network means operators are able to quickly upscale their operation and not be bogged down by their own network limitations.
How is TM working with telcos such as Celcom and DiGi to support their transmission requirements?
TM’s Next-Gen Backhaul (NGBH) takes advantage of our next generation domestic backhaul, which covers the whole of Malaysia. This service is proposed to MNOs as a platform to deploy their LTE services. TM recently signed a 15-year agreement with two MNOs, Celcom and DiGi, to allow the two players to leverage TM’s NGBH platform to deploy their network.
Under this agreement, TM will be providing wholesale bandwidth connectivity via its NGBH services for aggregation and access sites jointly owned by Celcom and DiGi, covering a network span of between 3,000 and 3,500 kilometers in Malaysia.