The Energy, Water and Communications Ministry cancelled the tender for wireless broadband Internet (WiMAX) on July 18, the final day for submissions, as the specifications did not meet the ministry’s requirements. Its minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) specifications for the provision of the WiMAX licence did not include a nationwide rollout. “They (MCMC) went ahead and gave out the specifications before I could take a look at them. I am a bit angry and disappointed with MCMC because they went out without getting the ministry’s input and I have it ordered to be recalled,” Dr Lim said. He said the ministry would relook at the specifications and call for fresh submissions. He said the specifications would involve consultations with industry players to ensure the best criteria, which include infrastructure and content. The tender for the WiMAX 2.3 gigahertz (Ghz) opened in May this year and the closing date was yesterday. Three companies, DiGi.com Bhd, REDtone International Bhd and NasionCom Holdings Bhd, were reportedly keen on a WiMAX licence. He said the MCMC did not comply with the MyCMS 886 standards. The MyCMS 886 is a five-year ICT blueprint which outlines an industry-driven initiative that will leverage on existing policies and programmes to increase the usage of broadband Internet, cellular telephone service and 3G service. Speaking to reporters after opening the Conference and Exhibition on IP Telephony (CEIPT 2006), he said the new criteria would specify that applicants should be ready to invest in infrastructure and have enough content to “excite” users. Dr Lim said the candidates should invest in infrastructure to be connected before they were eligible to be considered. The candidates should also be able to offer a full range of services, which include Internet protocol television (IPTV), IP Telephony, high-speed broadband connectivity and quality data to attract people to subscribe to the service. WiMAX technology is akin to WiFi (wireless fidelity) technology, where users could link up to broadband Internet from a “hotspot”. Unlike WiFi which only covers short distances, the range for WiMAX could stretch to an entire city. To boost broadband penetration, he said the ministry was thinking of setting up a universal service provision fund – a government fund to provide rural areas with broadband connectivity. He did not give details on the proposed fund.-theedgedaily
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