P1 to deploy LTE-TDD technology



Michael Lai, P1's chief executive officer



P1 wants to roll out LTE-TDD commercially at the close of next year. "We have submitted a business plan to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and are waiting its approval," Michael Lai, P1's chief executive officer, said during a media retreat here. LTE-TDD is a fourth-generation technology that promises even faster wireless access speeds for mobile device users, as well as enhanced capacity for broadband network providers, than is available now.

A typical 90-minute high-definition movie (720p) would take 7 minutes to download at 110Mbps. P1's current WiMAX technology network offers speeds of up to 45Mbps, and the same movie would take 18 minutes to download on that. However, the speeds depend on how many users are on the network at the same time. The more users there are in a particular sector around a base station, the slower the speeds will be. A hurdle to LTE-TDD is the lack of devices configured to operate on that network now. And the small number of such devices currently available are too expensive for the average user.

"Without compatible and affordable devices, consumers will not be able to fully leverage on the power of the LTE-TDD network," Lai said. But he is confident that the number of LTE-TDD-enabled products will increase by the time P1 kicks off its LTE-TDD network in this country.