High-speed broadband links in Penang by 2014

MALAYSIA'S "Silicon Island", Penang, is set to bring high-speed broadband capability to its residents and investors by 2014 as the state ramps up its Internet connectivity.

Penang Development Corporation (PDC) Telecommunications Services Sdn Bhd chairman Jeff Ooi said the upgrading exercise, known as the Next Generation Network (NGN), will see connectivity at a speed of 50 megabits per second (Mbps), which is more than 12 times the current speed of 4Mbps.

"This project will be carried out in two phases, with the first on the island and then Seberang Prai. It will be funded via internal resources within PDC Telco and its network partners," he told Business Times.

Ooi said key consultants for the NGN are Malaysia Neutral Transmission Sdn Bhd, which is made up of its founder and former Jaring Communications Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Dr Mohd Awang Lah and Penang-born Dr Bernard Lee, who consults for national broadband projects in Australia and New Zealand.

The first phase of the project, tagged at RM50 million.

"The architecture for the island's network, which will involve a 250km line with a two-way redundancy loop for mission critical provisioning, is being finalised," Ooi said, adding that installation works for fibre optics on the island should commence by the end of the year.

He said the NGN for Penang island will involve four loops, which are to run concurrently.

The four loops are George Town's central business district through Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringi; Jelutong to Gelugor; Bayan Baru to Bayan Lepas Multimedia Super Corridor City, Free Industrial Zone and Airport Zone and, lastly, the Balik Pulau Backup Zone.

"The second phase on the mainland, for which the cost model is yet to be finalised, should start by 2014."

Ooi added that high-demand areas will be the first to enjoy the faster connectivity and clients for the project will comprise all telecos rolling out the 4G wireless broadband standard known as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and those involved in triple play services.

(Triple play is a marketing term for the provisioning of two bandwidth-intensive services, which are high-speed Internet access and television, and a less bandwidth-demanding but more latency-sensitive service, which is telephone over a single broadband connection).

"We will do wholesale bandwidth and not retail, although we intend to work with partners for the fibre-to-the-home deployment," he noted.

"We want to organise all telco tranching to work under one roof in order to minimise damage to road structure when the fibre optic networks are being laid," Ooi said.

"Plans are also in place to promote resource sharing among participating telcos, in order to reduce cost and broadband ownership," he said, adding that there would be a minimum real constant speed of at least 10Mbps, subject to an individual's needs.