UNIFI SUBSCRIBER BASE PASSES 200,000 MARK AHEAD OF TARGET

TM’s High Speed Broadband service take-up continues to surpass expectations

Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) recently reached another significant milestone in the roll-out of its High Speed Broadband (HSBB) service, UniFi with the total subscriber base of the service nationwide passing the 200,000 mark ahead of the year-end target.

Commenting on the achievement, Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, TM said, “We are very happy to note that our UniFi service has reached 200,000 subscribers from the 77 coverage areas and achieving this milestone in only 1 and a half years since its launch is definitely another commendable development in the roll-out of the HSBB project. This also shows a faster take-up rate indicating excellent operational effectiveness as compared to our Broadband to General Population (BBGP) service, Streamyx, where we took 3 years to sign up 200,000 subscribers from nationwide availability.

TM’s ever-growing and ever-expanding UniFi subscriber base and coverage area is in line with TM’s position as Malaysia’s broadband champion and leading New Generations Communications provider. We are certainly pleased with this progress and are very grateful to our customers for believing in us in delivering an enhanced and integrated digital lifestyle to their homes.”

“The response to UniFi has been overwhelming and we are now averaging a take up rate of 15 – 20 per cent of the premises passed which has surpassed our initial estimates and expectations of 8 to 10 per cent take up rate of premises passed. We expect UniFi take up to continue to increase to 50% of premises passed in the next three (3) to five (5) years. Being the first and premier HSBB service provider in Malaysia, TM has been playing a pivotal role in fiberising the nation, elevating Malaysia to emerge as the highest in terms of number of high speed broadband subscribers in South East Asia and one of the highest speeds of roll-outs globally, as announced by Frank Jaffer, the president of Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council Asia Pacific at the FTTH Council Asia Pacific Conference recently.

More importantly, Malaysia is also listed in the top 10 in ranking within the Asia Pacific region in terms of HSBB subscribers. TM has also been touted as one of the fastest and lowest HSBB capex roll-outs in the world, according to BT Telconsult. These achievements are in part due to a number of factors leading to overall project efficiencies - primarily efficient design architecture, good vendor relations, more cost efficient roll-out plans and optimisation of resources. More importantly, this is due the high demand Malaysians have for UniFi,” Dato’ Sri Zamzamzairani further explained.

UniFi is currently available at 77 exchange areas with more than 1.09 million premises passed. The areas include the 61 in the Inner Klang Valley as well as Nusajaya in Iskandar Malaysia and industrial areas around the country including 8 in Johor, 3 in Penang, 2 in Kedah, 1 in Perak, 1 in Negeri Sembilan and 1 in Melaka.

TM is on track to increase the UniFi service coverage to a total of 78 exchange areas covering 1.1 million premises passed by end of 2011 and 1.3 million premises passed by the end of 2012, which is the target set under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement with the Government.

For a complete list of UniFi coverage areas and service availability, visit www.tm.com.my.