Lemak Lemang

018 mobile prefix put to better use

Apr 11, 2007 11:59

The 018 prefix, formerly assigned to Mobikom (M) Sdn Bhd which ran the now defunct analog mobile telephony, has been put to better use.

Minister of Energy, Water and Communications Dr Lim Keng Yaik announced yesterday that 018 will now be shared between Telekom Malaysia, which owns the idle Mobikom, and MiTV Corp Sdn Bhd (MiTV), a new player which was the 3G spectrum mid last year.

Photo courtesy of MiTV Networks Sdn Bhd, Branding & Corporate PR
The decision was announced at the MoU signing ceremony between MiTV and Celcom (Malaysia) Bhd's cellular arm which plans to later enter into an agreement to provide nationwide domestic roaming.

The MoU is to pave the way for a detailed agreement that will allow MiTV to carry the 018 prefix for domestic roaming throughout Malaysia by tapping on the extensive mobile communication network of Celcom, which has the widest coverage in the country.

"But to be fair to Celcom, we will allow it to keep certain block of numbers under 018, while MiTV may use other numbers under the 018 prefix," Dr Lim said.

The position statement revealed to the media yesterday was that the collaboration will allow customers to enjoy complete nationwide mobile coverage at no additional cost.

Currently, Maxis mobile services are identified through the 012 and 017 prefixes, Celcom with 013 and 019, and DiGi with 016.

Meanwhile, Celcom and MiTV have sealed the Access Agreement to enable seamless interconnectivity of services between the two networks. In a press statement sent to this blogger yesterday, MiTV said it will utilize the 018 prefix once its 3G comes onstream.

MiTV, together with government-owned Time Telekom, was awarded the IMT-2000 (UMTS/3G) spectrum assignment from industry regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) mid last year.

The company said that by leveraging Celcom's extensive networks in all 14 states nationwide covering 97 percent of the populated areas in Malaysia, including Sabah and Sarawak., MiTV 018 will provide a true interoperator domestic roaming service which is currently focused on limited sites in selected rural areas.

MiTV 018 had targetted to launch its commercial 3G service later this year, though the exact date was not specified. Concurrently, MiTV said it will "aggressively" roll out its own HSDPA-enabled mobile network for its 018 customers.

Domestic roaming is quite similar to international roaming in that it allows customers to be connected in areas where their provider has yet to build its own infrastructure by "riding" on the existing network of a roaming partner that has coverage within that area.

Under the MoU, MiTV 018 customers are expected to benefit from Celcom's nationwide coverage throughout the country at no additional cost, a point often stressed by the Minister. Earlier, Dr Lim said such initiative is in line with global trends, as domestic roaming is commonly practised among new 3G entrants around the world to boost their coverage at launch.

Meanwhile, MiTV chairman Ir Hj Rosman Ridzwan, who signed the MoU on behalf of the company, was evasive to reporters' queiries on the relaunching of the shortlived MiTV payTV services.

"Some time this year," he said coyly without elaborating.

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