Celcom與MERCHANTRADE ASIA推介大馬第一個MVNO服務

CELCOM COLLABORATES WITH MERCHANTRADE ASIA TO LAUNCH MALAYSIA’S FIRST MVNO

Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2007 - Malaysia’s mobile network operator with the widest coverage, Celcom (Malaysia) Berhad, today signed an agreement with Merchantrade Asia Sdn Bhd, (Merchantrade) to launch Malaysia’s first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) by providing a prepaid package to overseas foreign workers in Malaysia. These include customers from nine countries, specifically India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

A signing ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur was signed by Celcom’s CEO Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly on behalf of Celcom while Merchantrade’s Managing Director, Ramasamy K. Veeran did the honours for Merchantrade. The signing was witnessed by Azwan Khan Osman Khan, Celcom’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development, and Sarveswaran Raja Gopal, Merchantrade’s Project and Business Development Manager.

Dato’ Sri Shazalli Ramly, CEO of Celcom said, “This is yet another in a series of firsts for the industry driven by Celcom. We were the first operator to enter into a nationwide domestic roaming agreement last month, and we are now the first to embark upon a strategic MVNO.

We believe our win-win partnership approach represents a new era of maturity in the industry and positions ourselves as the most progressive of celcos, where partnerships are concerned. We have learnt from MVNO experiences in other markets, and have tailored our commercial terms to ensure a true win-win proposition without risking cannibalisation of our existing subscribers.”

Through this collaboration, all existing Merchantrade customers will be automatically converted into users of the new prepaid package. The package will include services such as Voice and SMS, MMS, GPRS as well as mobile content from Channel X, Celcom’s new and ultimate mobile content channel. In addition, customers will be able to enjoy special IDD rates to the nine countries.

“Users will have an immediate access to the 013 number when they register. Through this initiative, Celcom stands to empower Merchantrade customers by extending their choices for a better service. We are also extremely pleased to offer them the benefit of the country’s widest and best mobile coverage. They will be able to enjoy the same quality of service as Celcom other customers, even in the most remote areas of the country,” Dato’ Sri Shazalli concluded.

Mr. Ramasamy Veeran, Managing Director of Merchantrade said “As reflected by Merchantrade’s tagline ‘Money transfer & communication across borders’, Merchantrade caters for communication and money transfer needs of migrant workforce and expatriates. In fact, Merchantrade’s communication and money transfer services are specially targeted at migrant workforce and expatriate and tailored based on their cultural preference.”

Customers can purchase Merchantrade prepaid mobile starter packs and recharge vouchers at Merchantrade’s dealers, Merchantrade’s branches nationwide and as well as 4000 Wartel / Call shops. Merchantrade has an established presence among the migrant market in Malaysia as a prepaid calling card and Wartel / Call Shop services provider since Year 2003.

As part of its continuous effort and social obligation to provide added services to its existing migrant market customer base besides this MVNO initiative, Merchantrade provides money transfer services to migrant workforce and expatriates in Malaysia since February 2007. Merchantrade holds Network Services Providers (Individual) and Application Services Provider licenses issued by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission; and remittance licence issued by Bank Negara Malaysia.
Currently, Celcom mobile communication networks covers 97 per cent of the populated areas in Malaysia, effectively making it the widest mobile network operator in the country for both 2G and 3G coverage. Its voice, 3G and HSDPA network coverage includes Sabah, Sarawak and Mount Kinabalu.

Celcom’s 3G network coverage even extends to the peak of Mount Kinabalu, giving Celcom the distinction of providers of the highest 3G network coverage in the world. With the recent installation of its network service in Maliau Basin located in south central Sabah, Celcom also offers the most remote coverage in Malaysia.