| Aircraft To Beam Broadband Connectivity In Malaysia By 2009, Says Firm |
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PETALING JAYA, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Broadband connections beamed from the sky, the latest offering for Internet and mobile phone service providers in Malaysia, is set to be deployed by 2009.
QucomHaps Malaysia Sdn Bhd (QHM), a subsidiary of Irish information and communications technology firm QucomHaps Holdings Ltd, is introducing the world's first commercial deployment of High Altitude Platforms (HAPS) technology.
Managing director Abdul Majid Abdullah said today the move will help fast track the government's objective to increase broadband household penetration in Malaysia.
"Initially the government had targeted to increase the broadband penetration to 50 percent by 2010 from the current 12 percent, but we can fast track this and even achieve 100 percent broadband penetration in Malaysia before 2010 by deploying our HAPS technology here," he told reporters after the company's media retreat here.
HAPS refers to the use of aircraft hovering at stratospheric levels - 20 km from the ground - to provide instantaneous, nationwide broadband connectivity at bandwidth speeds of 512kilobits per second, including rural and remote areas.
Abdul Majid said the company will use the Russian-made M55 aircraft to carry communications equipment to provide not only internet connectivity but also for mobile phone and digital TV broadcast services.
QHM, according to him, will bring in 16 of the aircraft from its parent, QucomHaps Holdings, to service network players such as mobile telecommunications and internet services providers as well as broadcast companies.
The M55 is said to be an all-weather single-seater stratospheric aircraft capable of operating both day and night, even in critical environmental conditions and strong cross-winds at takeoff or landing.
Abdul Majid said each aircraft will fly over a designated area in a five-hour shift and be connected to local and international ground communication stations.
Flying in relay will provide 24-hour coverage and an aircraft in circular orbit can provide coverage over 125,000 sq km for up to a million users.
Abdul Majid also said the company will use five aircraft at a time to cover Malaysia - two for Peninsular Malaysia and three for Sabah and Sarawak.
"For a start, we will do the technical demonstration at a cost of RM12 million for several government agencies, telecommunication players, Malaysian Technical Standards Forum Bhd - which helps develop and maintain technical codes and standards for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission - and other related players," he said.
"We want to show them what the HAPS technology can do," he said, adding that QHM wants to demonstrate that instant nationwide access to broadband connectivity can be provided at significantly lower costs than anything commercially available in the market.
After the demonstrations, he said, the company expects to ink the first commercial deal for its HAPS service with telecommunication players sometime next year.
"The operations for the new service will take off within 12 months of signing the contract," he added.
-- BERNAMA
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