YTL Communications Collaborates with UQ Communications of Japan to Spearhead WiMAX2 Development

YTL Communications, which has the reputation of being the world’s first operator with a fully converged 4G network, recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Japan’s leading WiMAX broadband service provider, UQ Communications.

The agreement is set to further enhance both entities’ leadership positions in the 4G space and to advance the development and adoption of next-generation WiMAX technologies like WiMAX2.

The world’s first WiMAX2 field test was conducted by UQ Communications in Tokyo, Japan, where the delegation from YTL Communications, led by YTL Group Managing Director Tan Sri (Dr.) Francis Yeoh, along with some 50 other international guests, witnessed a WiMAX2 wireless mobile network deliver a downlink speed of over 130mbps in a moving vehicle.

In addition, YTL Communications and UQ Communications will act as catalysts to the development and adoption of WiMAX2, and are expected to promote international roaming amongst WiMAX operators worldwide.

WiMAX2, is the next generation WiMAX standard based on IEEE 802.16m, an ITU designated International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard. It is one of two technologies labelled as “4G”, alongside rival standard LTE (Long Term Evolution).

According to Market research firm Infonetics Research, the 4G infrastructure market is set to hit $16 billion by 2015, driven by LTE and WiMAX investments. WiMAX likely will become established as the solution of choice for niche applications, such as supporting the smart grid, public safety, private citywide communications segments, as well as more basic broadband needs. With LTE gaining high ground and visibility around the world, people tend to overlook the fact that the WiMAX equipment market, which jumped 85% in 2010 to $1.7 billion, remains bigger than the LTE market, and continues to show healthy growth.

Samsung is the top-selling WiMAX vendor, followed by Huawei, Alvarion, and Motorola. The number of 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile subscribers is forecast to reach 7 billion by 2015.

Yes 4G, YTL Communications’ fast-growing wireless broadband service is expected to double its subscribers to 400,000 by end of 2011, currently already covering 55% of the Malaysian population.

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YTL Communications Joins Forces with UQ Communications of Japan to Lead Next-Generation WiMAX Ecosystem

News Release

The collaboration of expertise will develop roaming partnerships, promote the harmonization of WiMAX standards and facilitate the exploration of new markets

Kuala Lumpur — July 12, 2011 — YTL Communications, the world’s first operator with a fully converged mobile 4G network, today announced that it signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Japan’s leading WiMAX broadband service provider, UQ Communications on July 7 2011, to further enhance both entities’ leadership positions in the 4G space and to advance the development and adoption of next-generation WiMAX technologies.

“Amongst 4G standards, WiMAX is the most matured and widely adopted in the world. The signing marks the next phase in its advancement as we work with UQ Communications, a leader in its own right in one of the most advanced wireless countries in the world, to propagate the adoption of next-generation WiMAX technologies and to foster the development of 4G ecosystems in Malaysia and beyond. We’re extremely excited about collaborating with a like-minded partner to develop solutions that will ultimately enable our customers to see new innovations that will further improve their lives and help our country realize the potential of an Internet enabled economy,” said Wing K. Lee, CEO of YTL Communications.

The signing coincides with the successful world’s first WiMAX2 field test conducted by UQ Communications on July 7 in Tokyo, Japan, where the delegation from YTL Communications, led by YTL Group Managing Director Tan Sri (Dr.) Francis Yeoh, along with some 50 other international guests, witnessed a WiMAX2 wireless mobile network deliver a downlink speed of over 130mbps in a moving vehicle.

“Today we witnessed the next revolution in mobile broadband. This is the future of wireless internet”, said Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, “as a young man, I fought hard to promote no censorship in Malaysia. Now with ground-breaking technologies such as WiMAX2, Internet will be a force of good that will improve the lives of millions around of world. We are pleased to be a pioneer in this space.”

The two operators will collaborate on business and technical partnerships to drive WiMAX ecosystem development, delivery of high-value innovations and exploration of new market opportunities. Both parties will also serve as catalysts to the development and adoption of the next-generation WiMAX2 standard. In addition, YTL Communications and UQ Communications are expected to promote international roaming amongst WiMAX operators worldwide.

WiMAX2, the next generation WiMAX standard based on IEEE 802.16m, is an ITU designated International Mobile Telecommunications-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) standard. It performs better than current LTE technologies while maintaining full compatibility with existing WiMAX devices.

“We are excited about this collaboration with YTL Communications as there is much for both parties to leverage and gain from each other. As a result of the widespread adoption of WiMAX in key markets around the world, the WiMAX ecosystem is ready to advance to the next level of development with WiMAX2. Together with YTL Communications and our expertise in WiMAX, the collaboration will mean further enhanced user experience and performance to meet the increasing demand for even faster mobile connectivity to support the prevalence of cloud-based applications and services. With this collaboration, YTL Communications and UQ Communications will take WiMAX to the next level,” said Akio Nozaka, President UQ Communications.
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