The Prime Minister, YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak will be the guest of honour at the main event in Dataran Merdeka, and he is also expected to launch the new National Broadband Initiative (NBI), of which HSBB is the flagship project.

At the launch, TM will also be unveiling the new branding for its HSBB service as well as announce its tiered packages and pricing. The HSBB retail packages will comprise triple-play services of voice, video (IPTV and Video on Demand), and high speed Internet. HSBB offers bandwidth at network access (port) speeds of 10Mbps and above to support the delivery of its triple play offering.

A host of on-the-ground activities are being planned including technology showcases, games, contests and lucky draws. There will also be open air concerts by popular acts including Bunkface and Aizat leading up to the official launch later that evening. Both sets of audiences in Dataran Merdeka and Menara TM will be able to enjoy these concerts through video conference.

To mark the countdown to March 24 2010 in a grand manner, the entire Menara TM will be lit up every evening starting from 15 March 2010 with a graphical countdown projection beam depicting a countdown clock leading up to the gala launch date.

Signed in September 2008, the RM11.3 billion national HSBB project is a Public-Private-Partnership agreement between TM and the Government of Malaysia to develop next generation high speed broadband infrastructure and services for the nation. TM is putting up RM8.9 billion while the Government is contributing RM2.4 billion on an incurred claims basis based on project milestones reached by TM.

By the end of 2012 - in accordance with the completion of the first phase of the national HSBB project roll-out as agreed with the Government — approximately 1.3 million premises will have access to TM’s HSBB services. These nationwide areas — identified as Zone 1 (key economic areas) — include the Inner Klang Valley, Iskandar Malaysia, and key industrial sites around the nation.

The initial four areas that will be covered by TM HSBB services at the time of service launch will be Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Bangsar. Some 300 users in those four areas are already participating in HSBB user trials currently and interested customers are welcome to pre-register on the TM website www.tm.com.my.

The user trials, which started in November 2009, have given TM the opportunity to test out its systems, processes, fibre installation methodology, etc. with an eye towards providing an enhanced customer service experience.

Dato’ Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM, said, “I want to reassure all the interested early adopters out there that our HSBB packages will be of premium service, but not of premium pricing. After all, we want our service to be affordable and attractive enough to draw in as many early adopters in the four areas as we can; and we hope their positive experience will be an endorsement for the rest of the coverage areas when HSBB comes to their doorstep.”

TM’s total expenditure related to the HSBB project as of 31 December 2009 reached RM1.9 billion — covering last mile access, IP core deployment and capacity expansion for international links. Meanwhile, the total of approved claims from Government up to December 2009 stands at RM990 million.

In terms of premises passed, TM has exceeded its 2009 target of 150,000 by wiring up to 152,000 premises passed as at 31 December 2009.

TM’s next-generation HSBB services promises a richer, faster and more reliable online experience through faster network access speed (port speed) in excess of the current fastest available Broadband for the General Public (BBGP) speeds of 4Mbps offered by TM’s existing Streamyx service. HSBB also targets superior end-to-end network performance, including international bandwidth.

About TM

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), Malaysia’s leading integrated information and communications group, offers a comprehensive range of communication services and solutions in broadband, data and fixed-line. As a market leader in the broadband and fixed-line businesses, TM is driven to deliver value to its stakeholders in a highly competitive environment. The Group places emphasis on continuing customer service quality enhancements and innovations.

With its extensive global connectivity, TM is poised to position Malaysia as a regional Internet hub and digital gateway for South-East Asia. In line with this, TM is evolving into a Next Generation Network service provider enabling the Group to enhance its efficiency and productivity while providing enriched products and services.

On the Corporate Responsibility (CSR) front, the Group has always been a major corporate contributor towards responsible activities in the belief that these practices are a fundamental tenet of good corporate governance. The Group promotes 3 major platforms i.e. education, sports development and community/nation-building. Under education, TM has spent some RM800 million to develop Multimedia University into one of the top universities in Malaysia with more than 20,000 students. TM has also provided scholarships to over 11,000 graduates pursuing academic programmes locally and overseas. On the sports front, TM is actively contributing towards the upliftment of football at all levels while under the community/nation-building platform, the Group contributes towards causes that bring value to the community and nation at large. TM was awarded the prestigious STAR-BIZ ICRM Corporate Responsibility Award under the workplace category for 2008.

For further information on TM, visit www.tm.com.my.

Issued by:
Group Corporate Communications
Telekom Malaysia Berhad
Level 8 (South Wing), Menara TM, Jalan Pantai Baharu
50672, Kuala Lumpur