CURRENT ISSUE IN MALAYSIA - 4G LTE

4G LTE

INTRODUCTION

4G is the name commonly used for the 4th Generation mobile network, and it represents a faster mobile network service than 3G, which is the 3rd Generation mobile network. 4G LTE officially launched in Malaysia earlier this year (2013) with limited coverage and support.  Maxis launched the 4G LTE service in Malaysia first, offering speeds up to 75 Mbps, followed by Celcom, and then DiGi. Recently, TM (Telekom Malaysia) has announced its step towards being a 4G LTE provider in the near future.

FACTOR TO ENCOURANGE THE 4G 

To secure 4G uptake, operators should ensure they get the basics right, and manage expectations in terms of coverage and speeds. 4G is likely to be successful if advertised speeds are reached and nationwide roll-outs are completed in time, or preferably ahead of schedule. Operators will need to strike a balance between underwhelming and over-selling, as there may not be any single new killer app in 4G which 3G cannot deliver. What will differ markedly, however, is user experience, and as a result duration and intensity of usage.

BENEFITS OF 4G

HSPA+ (evolved HSPA) has a theoretical peak download rate of 168 Mbps and is technically classified as 3.75G, the step right before 4G.WiMAX has a theoretical peak download rate of 128 Mbps.LTE is all the hype right now, with a a theoretical peak download rate of 100 Mbps (By the way, 4G LTE is technically 3GPP LTE). While its theoretical speed is lower than the above, in practice, 4G LTE is actually faster.  The 4G LTE is similar in speed to some fiber to the home broadband plans in Malaysia.  The ‘True 4G’ that actually meets the standards is now known as LTE Advanced, with a peak download speed of 1 Gb/s (that’s about 10 times more than the current LTE). Maxis, DiGi, and Celcom are offering 4G LTE services in Malaysia.

CONCLUSION

The ability of 4G to deliver more data at faster speeds suggests the service will thrive in 2013. 4G subscriber numbers are likely to triple as compared to 2012, reaching around 200 million globally, as customers take advantage of improved email services, sharper images and faster browsing.

In response to higher demand, and falling chip-set prices, the number of 4G devices will rise fast, with lower cost pre-pay handsets encouraging adoption.