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Broadband Expansion: U Mobile Goes Johor Bharu, Digi Goes Ipoh & Kuching

Fast rewind to 2004, when I still lived at Kota Damansara with my uni friends, in one day we decide to subscribe to Streamyx (the only broadband available at that time) as we need more internet connection for email, research and games. To our disappointment the area we live is out of coverage. At that time, we live in middle cost apartment, opposite now Sri KDU school. Across the road is Tropicana,golf club and other high end residential house where Streamyx service has been there for years.

I still study at that time, and lived with our parent money as well as government fund. Not much but just enough to pay rent and pay meals. If you in our situation, what would you think? I personally think that Streamyx is being unfair to low income group! Doesn’t that  low income also deserve the internet connection?

Fast forward to 2010. I’ve been Streamyx user for 4 years now. My parent house which located 17km from nearest town does have Streamyx as well.  Streamyx has expanded almost everywhere in Malaysia, made it accessible to everyone. Thanks to competition…

Beside Streamyx, there are now other internet service providers competing with each other to win the customer. From wired internet broadband, wireless internet broadband to fibre optic broadband, we’re very lucky to have them now. Centered around Klang Valley as the first location to have the coverage, the services has gradually expanded to other major towns.

Celcom Broadband & Maxis Broadband alongside Streamyx are leading the pack. They have the widest coverage in internet broadband as far as I know, as they are also the pioneer.. Then there is P1 Wimax which is quite aggressive in getting their service roll out to customers.

Last week, U Mobile  has expanded their broadband coverage to Johor Bharu from very modest beginning. Same goes to Digi broadband which is now expanding to Ipoh and Kuching.

Digi Broadband Packages

digi broadband packages 450x199 Broadband Expansion: U Mobile Goes Johor Bharu, Digi Goes Ipoh & Kuching

U-Mobile Broadband Packages

umobile broadband packages 450x141 Broadband Expansion: U Mobile Goes Johor Bharu, Digi Goes Ipoh & Kuching

All of this is a good sign toward achieving greater internet penetration rate, which currently stood at 36%. At the same time, I do hope the same quality of service is offered regardless geography location. Imagine if only Streamyx tasked to execute this mammoth task? Do you think we’re at this level now? The old memory of Kota Damansara may happen again somewhere else.

Well, I plan to to write about U Mobile and Digi expansion initially, but somehow the old memory is coming back. As you see the post goes lengthy beyond the plan. Lastly, I’d like you to imagine again, how is the life without internet broadband?

Admin 7 February 2010 telecommunication , , , , No Comments

First Look at U Mobile Internet Broadband Package

umobile_laptop

umobile_laptop_usage

U-Mobile making foray into the internet broadband market with numbers of of attractively crafted packages caters to not so heavy usage consumer. While the internet package for laptop started at RM20 has contender from the like of Celcom broadband prepaid, the packages for mobile phone is the most value for money package I have seen so far.

With as low as RM10 permonth for UB10 package (below), you get 100MB data at 384 kbps. While it looks little, but U-Mobile has cleverly illustrated what you could do with that amout of data. I reckon 100MB is suffice for my 2nd phone, iPhone (after BB Curve 8520 taking over that role beginning this month). The most expensive package is offered at RM68 per month, with ‘unlimited’ data that subjected to fair use policy which means, it is capped at 5GB per month.

Whereas the price is very competitive, but the biggest drawback here is, the U-Mobile network coverage is very very limited at the moment. Just look at the coverage section in the broadband page. Apart from Klang Valley, Ipoh, Seremban, Melaka and Endau Rompin National Park (really) and Johor Bharu are among the areas that has got the coverage at the moment.

In the very competitive market, it is race against the time for U-Mobile to grows its coverage in order to gain more customers. Can it match the pace that others players currently has? We’ll see in couple of months.

p/s : I can only wish that Celcom/Maxis has similar RM10 package per month.

umobile_mobile

umobile_mobile_usage

Admin 6 November 2009 telecommunication , 1 Comment

Are we destined to only dream of Apple iPhone?

iphone 3g Are we destined to only dream of Apple iPhone?

I spent little time this weekend on iPhone and iPod Touch play the games, applications not realizing there you go my 1 hour. It is truth that ease to swallow… iPhone is addictive!! Or to be correct, iPhone applications that made this whole thing addictive. Unfortunately that is not mine (this post not coming this soon if I have one), but I wish that I’ll have one too. iPhone (and the app) is dang amusing!!

But, it’s odd, that good stuff hard to get . As we all aware off, iPhone won’t making its presence in Malaysia soon (or not at all), although it was speculated before that telcos such as Maxis & Celcom or even Digi are wooing Apple to be iPhone’s distributor sometime back. But no progress (and no comment from them too) since then. Our ’smaller’ lucky neighbor has got taste of it… I’m wondering what makes this device available on certain countries and not in the other? Telcos or demand??

I have doubt if it would be due to the demand although I don’t have the figure.  iPhone can be seen being sold everywhere on the web. Just naming a few online marketplace that that you’re familiar, iPhone is available at eBay, Lelong, Mudah & Lowyat.net.

When iPhone first available here unofficially, it was ridicouly priced as much as over 3K. But thanks to demand & competetion, the price has slipped slightly lower. A quick check on Lelong which has the most iPhones, the Asia unlocked version is priced (quick grab price) as low as MYR2350 for 16GB. Pretty cheap right??

It is not a secret that Apple known to make a cut from telco’s profit from the iPhone. Iphone’s price is subsidized, but the potential buyer has to bear the cost with the contracts up to 2 years.  It is possible that the delay is caused by disagreement between 2 parties (Apple & telco) on the share and profit allocation between them.

The growing number of iPhone sales doesn’t mean ‘fat cheque’ for telcos. SingTel, which distributes the iPhone in Singapore, Australia, the Philippines and India, has lower profits because it was subsidising the device. Beside that, telcos must be assessing this iphone venture with more cautious, with the failure of iPhone business in India .It failed to appeal mobile phone users and penetrating the market dominated by Nokia although the main reason is lack of marketing effor by the Apple and its carrier partners, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone

If the deal with telcos failed to be finalized, Apple should favor seeling iPhone via its’s local Apple store, just like Apple Hong Kong store. As long as the price is lower than what grey market or ‘under water‘ offered and fully unlocked, Apple will have at least another fan in me.

I’ve no doubt about the creativeness of Malaysian to appeal for iPhone. Sign the petion online at petion.com. Say it loud, you want iPhone!!

Hope someone is listening and make the dream reality.


Admin 22 December 2008 gadget & hardware , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
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