Sabah, Sarawak to receive 100 new 4G LTE sites from Celcom and ZTE

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26  -- Celcom Axiata Bhd (Celcom), in collaboration with ZTE Corporation (ZTE), aims to optimise 100 sites in Sabah and Sarawak in an effort to provide a seamless 4G experience.

Celcom would deploy L900 technology there starting November 2021 in preparation for the 3G network shutdown by end of this year, the two companies said in a joint statement today.

Celcom and ZTE said the deployment of L900 provides a quick solution for 4G improvement in rural areas that are harder to reach and enables users with seamless connectivity for a better Internet experience.

“It will also provide better in-building penetrating powers, thus allowing a more robust transmission of data and Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services at the 100 targeted sites,” they said.

In April 2021, Celcom and ZTE combined their technology expertise and skills to complete 4G LTE upgrading initiatives throughout 70 sites within Sabah and Sarawak, with the deployment of L1800 bandwidth.

The upgrading initiative quickly addressed the increasing data traffic and immediately improvised network quality within the areas involved.

Celcom chief executive officer Idham Nawawi said Celcom has been relentless in optimising its network coverage, capacity, and resiliency by accelerating network investments in the most needed areas, especially in the most rural parts of the country.

“Having an experienced and skilled technological partner such as ZTE will further accelerate our efforts to greater lengths, towards befitting our aspiration in supporting the government’s National Digital Network (JENDELA)  ambitions and providing consistent and inclusive connectivity for Malaysians nationwide,” he said.

ZTE managing director for Malaysia, Steven Ge, said the company will continue to support Celcom’s goal to connect customers through a high-quality network by jointly monitoring network optimisation, network performance and the customer experience in the post-3G era to deliver an optimal experience for users.

-- BERNAMA