Qualcomm Inc (QCOM)

[khemara_qc]

Alcatel: Third generation network well on course


DEVELOPMENT of Malaysia's 3G (third generation) trial network is progressing well and, hopefully, will be completed by mid next year, according to Alcatel Asia-Pacific executive vice-president Christian Reinaudo.

“Timing, however, is not an important issue here. Telekom Malaysia Bhd can take as much time as it wants,'' he said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Alcatel, a French-based telecommunications network equipment maker, is one of several vendors supporting 3G trial services by Telekom in the Klang Valley. Alcatel's spot is Petaling Jaya.


Christian Reinaudo
Telekom and the vendors are not only providing the infrastructure for the high-speed broadband services but also working out the content and applications that would make the services commercially viable. “It is no use if Telekom can come up with the network fast but cannot attract enough subscribers,'' Reinaudo said.

He added that Malaysia was now Alcatel's South-East Asian region competence centre for mobile networks operations.

Reinaudo said Alcatel was confident of being able to position Malaysia as its top market in South-East Asia owing to the strong growth of local mobile communications market. “Malaysia's carrier equipment market is worth US$780mil this year, mainly due to strong demand for optics and mobile broadband services,'' he said.

He said while Internet penetration was estimated at 42% this year compared with 11.4% last year, mobile penetration had been projected to reach 60% in the coming years, from the current 43%.

Last year, Alcatel launched a 3G Reality Centre in Kuala Lumpur – one of five worldwide 2.5/3G end-to-end platforms – to help accelerate the adoption of 3G in South-East Asia, particularly Malaysia.

The company also announced it plan to invest about RM200mil over four years to develop Malaysia as its regional hub for its 3G/mobile business.

Reinaudo said the investment was mainly to provide support and expertise for 3G/mobile business, and to develop new mobile applications, particularly for 3G, with local partners. Alcatel has 10 partners actively working on the 3G project.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/5/11/business/7953290&sec=business