INTEL UNVEILS JOM BROADBAND 555 STRATEGY TO SPUR BROADBAND ADOPTION IN MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22, 2008 – Intel recently unveiled the company’s strategic initiative to accelerate the rate of broadband adoption in Malaysia. The initiative, known as Jom Broadband 555, features a three-pronged approach whereby Intel Malaysia has set a goal to help the country achieve 50 percent household broadband penetration; enable 50 percent of households with a minimum of one broadband Internet device; and to help the industry build a broadband network capable of supporting up to 50 million devices that are connected to the Internet – each by the year 2010.

The rationale for the Jom Broadband 555 initiative is a reinforcement of Intel Malaysia’s commitment towards the country’s own target of reaching a 50 percent broadband household penetration rate by 2010. As of end 2007, Malaysia only has a broadband household penetration rate of approximately 15.5 percent[1].

[1] Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission report as of April 2008.

“We believe that a more expansive and robust broadband infrastructure will help make connectivity accessible and affordable to more people in the country,” said Ryaz Patel, country manager, sales and marketing, Intel Malaysia. “Hence it is imperative that all stakeholders work together and leverage each other’s network for efficient use of resources.”

Intel’s Technology Enablement
To ensure that the Jom Broadband 555 initiative can be realized, Intel is committed to provide consumers with greater choices (silicon, hardware & access mode) as this will help to bridge the digital divide and increase PC and broadband penetration in Malaysia. For instance, Intel® Centrino® 2 and Atom™ processor technologies are delivering connectivity and performance that enriches users’ Internet experience.

Furthermore, Intel announced in May of this year an investment of RM50 million in Green Packet and a collaboration with its subsidiary, Packet Packet One Networks (Malaysia), to deploy a commercial WiMAX network in Malaysia. The rollout, based on a 2.3GHz spectrum, is the first in Malaysia and is seen as a catalyst that will spur higher adoption of broadband across the country.

Apart from Intel’s technology enablement strategies, the company would also like to see the government and the ecosystem work towards reducing the cost of international bandwidth charges to the Internet. This move is likely to make Malaysia more competitive and also opens the door for growth and investments in other market segments such as shared services outsourcing and the setting up of regional data farms. Patel also noted that the government’s plan to utilize the existing Universal Service Fund allocation for broadband infrastructure deployment in the country is yet another positive move.

“Intel applauds the Malaysian government’s comprehensive digital agenda. Having a bigger focus on increasing broadband access to the citizenry – especially in sub-urban and rural areas – will definitely help spur the country’s competitive growth and deliver enhanced social and economic capabilities in the long term,” Patel continued.