(Business Times via NewsEdge) Malaysia has delayed the rollout of high-speed wireless Internet services to the middle of next year, to minimize potential glitches, Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said.
The services were initially due to be launched by the end of this year.
The government wanted the four license holders to set up a consortium to share infrastructure and equipment costs for a quicker and smooth rollout, he said.
'It's better to be late to get it right, instead of getting it fast, but with many mistakes. The operators should own the infrastructure through a consortium.
'I had two discussions with them in South Korea and Kuala Lumpur recently, and the response (to the idea) was good,' Lim said.
Lim said license holders can ensure interoperability and save on costs as they can build one transmission tower to cover one residential area.
In March, the government awarded the much-coveted WiMAX licenses to small Malaysian firms.
Industry regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had expected the companies to start rolling out the service by end-2007.
Malaysia is pushing for speedier Internet access speeds to catch up with its more technology-savvy Asian neighbors.
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