YTL ROLLS OUT FIRST TERRAGRAPH TRIAL
Plan in line with national fiberisation vision to improve broadband quality, coverage and price
YTL Communications Sdn Bhd yesterday launched the first largescale Terragraph market pilot in Asia, here. The deployment, supported by Facebook, is aligned with the government’s National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan’s (NFCP) vision to improve broadband quality and coverage, reduce broadband prices and enable Internet access for all.
The unique proposition of Terragraph enables service providers to deploy low-cost highspeed connectivity in dense urban and sub-urban areas by utilising existing “street furnitures”.
YTL Communications chief executive officer Wing K. Lee said the market pilot project would last up to six months, starting March 1. In the period, the company will plan the commercial rollout while continuing to explore ways to harness the advanced wireless fibre technology.
“A breakthrough in technology is needed to address the need for better broadband while preserving the uniqueness of George Town’s proud Unesco status.
“The future is wireless. This pilot clearly confirms the viability of wireless as an effective last mile solution,” he said at the launch of the groundbreaking collaboration between YTL Communications, Facebook and the Federal Government by Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo, here, yesterday.
Present were the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Dr Mohd Ali Mohamad Nor, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak and Facebook Connectivity Ecosystem Programs head Bryan Tan.
According to Tan, as the country grows its digital economy, high-quality Internet connectivity is essential to help create new opportunities that can strenghten both local communities and global economies.
Meanwhile, describing the Terragraph pilot project as timely, Gobind said it is in line with NFCP. He said even though NFCP is a fibre first plan, it is technology-agonistic.
“This means we are open to any technology to solve connectivity problems, including Terragraph. This aims to solve a common urban problem where demand for high-speed broadband is high, but access is lacking. We must find solutions — our cities have insufficient fibre coverage and we need to roll out high-speed broadband access in the shortest time possible,” he said.
Gobind said the main hindrances to fiberisation include terrain, the high cost of fibre optic cables and trenching works, as well as the time needed to install the infrastructure.
He added that Malaysia is the second country in the world after Hungary to be running Terragraph trials.
“We are keen to welcome more industry-led strategic initiatives such as this market pilot, which is in line with the government’s efforts to ensure robust, pervasive, high-quality and affordable digital connectivity for the well-being of the people and progress of the country.
In his speech, Gobind said his ministry’s goal was to double the speed and halve the price of broadband in Malaysia.
The ministry has successfullyreduced prices of entry-level fixed broadband packages by 34 per cent.
Gobind said 100Mbps (Megabits per second) packages are now available for less than RM100 and entry-level 30Mbps packages at RM79 monthly. “However, out of eight million households, only 18 per cent have access to high-speed (fibre) broadband.