UniFi celebrates first year with 60,000 subscribers

UniFi celebrates it first year today with 60,000 customers subscriber to its fibre-based broadband service. In a press release issued today TM reports UniFi subscriber base has grown from a little over 30,000 at the end of 2010 to double that just before the end of the first quarter of 2011.

UniFi also celebrates its first year of service by being one of the faster fibre optics broadband networks in the world with over 60 exchange areas with close to 800,000 premises covered compared to a year ago where it launched its service in just four areas – Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail and Bangsar. TM expects to meet its 1.3 million premises covered by the end of 2012.

To celebrate UniFi’s first year success TM is offering FREE viewing of all 23 HyppTV premium channels from 24 March to 30 April 2011 to all our UniFi customers.

HyppTV currently offers 37 channels via UniFi residential packages. HyppTV’s 14 basic channels continue to be provided FREE-of-charge for all UniFi residential package subscribers. 23 PREMIUM channels are available for purchase on an ‘ala carte’ basis from as low as RM3 per-channel per-month whereas Video-on-Demand (VOD) starts from RM8 per title for all genres, including Hollywood, Malaysian, Asian and Bollywood. Popular Hollywood TV series are available from as low as RM48 per title (whole series) per season, viewable for an entire month. TM currently offers more than 1,000 hours of VOD anytime convenient to them.

As happy and satisfied UniFi customers we would like to wish UniFi happy first year.

Official press release from TM on UniFi’s first year after the jump.

News Release

23 March 2011
Kuala Lumpur

TM’S UNIFI HIGH SPEED BROADBAND SERVICE CELEBRATES ITS 1ST ANNIVERSARY
Service a success with 60,000 customers already enjoying an integrated digital lifestyle

Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s (TM) High Speed Broadband (HSBB) service, UniFi, has proven to be a huge success since its soft launch on 24 March last year; beating TM’s internal take-up estimates.

To date, the number of UniFi customers nationwide has rapidly grown to 60,000, from 33,000 at the end of 2010, and within the first three months of 2011. UniFi is currently available at 61 exchange areas with close to 800,000 premises passed. The areas include the 53 in the Inner Klang Valley as well Nusajaya in Iskandar Malaysia and industrial areas around the country including 3 in Penang and 1 in Kedah; 2 in Johor and 2 in Selangor.

A year ago on 24 March, UniFi was initially launched in four areas – Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail and Bangsar, and since then TM has been aggressively rolling out the service to meet the Public-Private Partnership agreement target of 1.3mil premises passed by the end of 2012.

By June 2010, TM’s HSBB service had been expanded to a further 23 exchange areas nationwide and by the end of 2010, UniFi had reached 48 exchanges nationwide; bringing the total number of premises passed to more than 750,000.

“Being the first and premier HSBB service provider in Malaysia has been an immensely challenging and rewarding experience for TM as a Company. The HSBB roll-out has been one of the fastest in the world in terms of implementation and largest in terms of scope. We rolled out the infrastructure and service in a record time of 18 months. To date, we continue to offer the fastest sustained data packages in Malaysia with our UniFi VIP20 and BIZ20 packages. As for residential packages, TM is the first to offer triple play high speed broadband services in the country via our VIP 5, VIP 10 and VIP 20 packages, enabling us to bring an integrated digital lifestyle into Malaysian homes. Having a proven track record as the premier HSBB service provider in Malaysia riding on the best and widest network coverage, TM is well positioned as Malaysia’s Broadband Champion,” said Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM.

“Our initial internal estimation was that UniFi would take off slower as consumers would take time to get used to the service’s value proposition of a faster, richer and more reliable online experience. We have been pleasantly surprised by the Malaysian public’s willingness to embrace it. We are now averaging a take up rate of 8 to 10 per cent of the premises passed as our HSBB service is being rolled out – beating our earlier 6 per cent estimate. Malaysians are sending us a loud and clear signal – that they want to spend their time online and are hungry for more bandwidth,” added Zamzamzairani.

In conjunction with UniFi’s continued service expansion to more areas nationwide, TM is also in the midst of a more aggressive go-to-market campaign to educate consumers and attract new subscribers. UniFi sales are steadily increasing and service installation capabilities are being progressively ramped up to meet demand.

“TM is proud to celebrate the 1st anniversary of the introduction of our HSBB service, UniFi this week. To commemorate this occasion, we would like to thank our 1.7 million broadband customers and 60,000 Unifi customers for believing in us in delivering an enhanced and integrated digital lifestyle to their homes. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m pleased to announce that we are offering FREE viewing of all 23 HyppTV premium channels from 24 March to 30 April 2011 to all our UniFi customers,” Zamzamzairani said.

UniFi is currently being offered via three residential and three business packages. The residential packages are VIP5 at RM149 a month, VIP10 at RM199 a month and VIP20 at RM249 a month. Each package comes with a triple-play offering of Phone, High Speed Internet and a free basic IPTV offering, HyppTV.

HyppTV currently offers 37 channels via UniFi residential packages. HyppTV’s 14 basic channels continue to be provided FREE-of-charge for all UniFi residential package subscribers. 23 PREMIUM channels are available for purchase on an ‘ala carte’ basis from as low as RM3 per-channel per-month whereas Video-on-Demand (VOD) starts from RM8 per title for all genres, including Hollywood, Malaysian, Asian and Bollywood. Popular Hollywood TV series are available from as low as RM48 per title (whole series) per season, viewable for an entire month. TM currently offers more than 1,000 hours of VOD anytime convenient to them. TM continuously enhances its HyppTV offerings by adding more exciting channels and pay-per-view content on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, the UniFi business packages on offer are BIZ5 at RM199 a month, BIZ10 at RM599 a month and BIZ20 at RM899 a month. Each package comes as a dual-play offering (voice and High Speed Internet) with a very competitive call plan, as well as a host of complimentary value-added services serving the needs of businesses nationwide.

Inked in September 2008, the RM11.3 billion national HSBB project is a Public-Private-Partnership agreement between TM and the Government of Malaysia to develop next generation high speed broadband infrastructure and services for the nation.

TM is investing up to RM8.9 billion into the project while the Government is contributing RM2.4 billion on an incurred claims basis based on project milestones reached by TM.