Malaysia's U Mobile, even before acquiring 4G spectrum, has revealed plans to start rolling out LTE equipment.
The company has tapped ZTE for a two-stage network expansion, initially involving expanding its 42Mbps DC-HSPA+ coverage to the central, western and northern areas of the country by the second half of next year.
U Mobile, Malaysia's newest 3G service provider with an estimated 1% market share, also revealed it intended to double the capacity of this network to 84Mbps within the next 12 months.
CEO Kaizad Heerjee said this rollout is “a strategic impetus to our ambition of becoming a major player in Malaysia’s fast-growing mobile data market.”
The second stage will involve installing LTE platforms in anticipation of being awarded 4G spectrum by regulator MCMC. The company first applied for spectrum in January, but Malaysia has so far yet to conduct a planned auction for frequencies on the 2.6GHz band.
U Mobile and ZTE recently completed an LTE trial in the nation.
U Mobile was founded in 2007, and launched its DC-HSPA+ network in October last year. It is 33% owned by Singapore's ST Telemedia, which has been advising it on 3G technology.
The Malaysian government has named constant improvements to available broadband services as a key plank in the latest stages of its its Economic Transformation Program.