Underperforming WiMAX operators to be fined. Where have we heard this before?

BERNAMA reports that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Comission (SKMM) is monitoring three WIMAX operators for not meeting their respective coverage targets.

The report said that all three have failed to achieve the 25 percent targetted market penetration.

Deputy Minister of Information Communication and Culture Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said from March 2008 to March 2009, the three companies had failed to achieve the target and can be fined.

He added that the government was ready to withdraw the licences of companies that failed to deliver the target, including Asiaspace Sdn Bhd.

So far nothing has happened.

He also said that athough the target has not been met, all four companies have shown an improved performance since March 2009.

We’re not sure what he means by “all four have shown improved performance” because it has been over a year since March 2009 and YTL still have not managed to convince the public that they indeed have a WiMAX network up and running. AMAX and REDtone are not fairing too well either with very limited coverage and a relatively small subscriber base.

But it seems like we’ve heard all this before. Those with long memories will recall that MCMC had alledgedly issued fines to the same operators for the exact same reason. The only difference is that the statement was made October 2009.

In October, 2009 The Star reported that SKMM issued letters on the fines to YTL e-Solutions (RM1.9mil), AsiaSpace (RM1.7mil), REDtone International (RM200,000) for failure to meet the 25% population coverage by the end of March but the operators have all made appeals against the fines.

We’re not sure if much has changed since then and the only WiMAX operator that’s really moving forward is P1; even then we’re seeing them being plagued with a very unstable network.

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