THERE is a need for the spectrum regime in Malaysia to be reformed, to better bridge the digital disparity among the people, and to improve connectivity in the country.
This comes from Todd Ashton, the president of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, who told FocusM that Ericsson has been calling for the 700MHz frequency to be added to the spectrum available for telco players “since 2012”.
“Opening up the spectrum is a critical step in bridging digital disparity,” said Ashton.
He explained that the lower down the spectrum a particular frequency was, the larger its cell range. A low frequency would also be able to better penetrate walls and other obstacles, despite lower speeds.
“The (700MHz) spectrum is usable for local geography, and would mean fewer cell sites needed, should it be released,” said Ashton, who advocates a more surgical view for the deployment of cell sites.
Currently, the lowest frequency open to players in Malaysia is 900 GSM band.
The 700MHz spectrum was opened for bids in 2018, as it was previously used for terrestrial television, but the announcement of who won the spectrum has been delayed with no date in sight.
Proper spectrum allocation would also go towards the implementation of 5G, of which Ericsson is a player in providing 5G use cases in Malaysia. Ashton also noted that the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan is “a good initiative, as is the National 5G Taskforce”, for enhancing connectivity and closing the digital divide.
