3G subscribers hoping for a third choice of service provider around this time of the year are in for disappointment, since riding one’s services on someone else’s network, has its problems too.

Charles F. Moreira

Homegrown telecommunications applications service provider (ASP) Asia Telecommunications (M) Sdn Bhd (Asia Telecoms) has been in the business of providing long-distance voice communication over the last six years.

It buys telecommunications time in bulk from first-tier telcos – DiGi, Celcom and Time dotcom – at discounted rates, then routes calls to distant destinations based on the best rates and passes the savings onto its customers.

As a systems integrator, it obtains and provides value-added services like leased lines, microwave links and satellite links to subscribers as and when required.

Around September last year, it received a Network Service Provider licence from Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, allowing it to take its concept mobile by leasing airtime in bulk from established licensed mobile network operators (MNO) like Maxis, DiGi and Celcom and  independently provide cellular services to its own subscribers as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) with its own SIM card, number prefix, call rates, quality of service and to operate its own mobile switching centre.





MVNOs have been successful abroad, with Britain’s largest MVNO, Virgin Mobile, successfully providing mobile MVNO services in the United States and Australia, as well, though it didn’t last too long in Singapore.

Asia Telecoms chief executive officer, Danesh Pannirselvam originally hoped to roll out its own 3G services about now but while announcing its pre-final World Cup party at the Espanda in Kuala Lumpur last month, he announced Asia Telecom’s own unique 015-99 number prefix and that besides Malaysia, it planned to also provide MVNO services with operators in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand under its MoVAT (Mobile Virtual Asia Telecoms) brand.

However, the disappointing news was that subscribers anxiously waiting for a third choice of 3G operator besides Maxis and Celcom, will have to wait till the second quarter next year.
“We’d love to launch 3G services now but our host operator’s network only covers the Klang Valley, Penang and Johor Baru, so we’ll have to wait till coverage is broader,” said Danesh.
“By the second quarter next year, our MNO will want to recoup investment on expanding its 3G coverage and we can add 3G users to its network, without it spending on acquiring customers, which is a win-win situation for the both of us,” he said.

Danesh wouldn’t name the host MNO but said Asia Telecoms prefers to stick with one initially, since it would be technically easier to implement and cheaper to operate, than having its subscribers cross-roam between different MNO networks.

Neither does Asia Telecoms want to start by offering services over its MNO’s 2G or 2.5G networks. “Voice is voice and there’s no difference whether it’s carried over a GSM, GPRS, EDGE or 3G network,” said Danesh. “Also, our MNO’s  2.5G service is already at maximum capacity, so we can’t provide consistent quality-of-service, especially when demand spikes.”

Value-added focus
Asia Telecoms is looking beyond voice and plans to offer a range of value-added data services which can be reliably delivered only over 3G networks.

It will begin field trials of its 3G services among selected users in the first quarter next year to gauge their performance and user experience, and based upon these, will provide relevant value-added services.
“For example, we’ll provide packages and enterprise solutions for insurance companies to mobile-enable their agents, to events management companies running contests and promotions, and to football fan clubs to provide content like video clips of crucial moves or goal scoring kicks,” said Danesh.

They will also have unlimited access to its services, including unlimited talk time. They can also access blogs, e-mail, post photo bulletins, and connect with their friends on the go, keep up with sports results, entertainment, fashion , live information feeds straight to their phone.

They can surf the Web with unlimited access, enjoy one-touch programming to their favorite sites and fast downloads of games, videos, applications, ringtones and logos.

Asia Telecoms plans to provide good customer support. While it has no plans to sell phones, it will provide customers with a list of 3G phones tested for compatibility with its services, so they can enjoy the best user experience with phones settings configured over the air.

He was also rather philosophical about issues with 3G phones: He agrees that most users now see no difference between 3G,. 2.5G and 2G phones and that it will be Asia Telecoms’ role to inform them of the benefits of mobile broadband speeds available only on 3G.

He’s also very confident with the value of 3G, while regarding WiFi and WiMAX as supporting services, since 3G’s coverage is “everywhere,” while WiFi’s and WiMAX’s aren’t, and won’t be for some time.

No rock-bottom pricing
Don’t hope that Asia Telecoms’ entry into the 3G market will provide more competition and cut-throat pricing. Both Danesh and his chief operating officer, A. Sritharan believe in competing on best quality of service at reasonable but not lowest prices.

“Even our TeleSave fixed line discount international call rates for residential, small-to-medium business subscribers has the most expensive rates but we focus on providing the best quality of service,” said Danesh.

For example, effective March last year, it charged 35sen per minute for calls to fixed and mobile numbers in the United States, while users of TM’s iTalk discount card paid about 20sen per minute.

Asia Telecoms has permanent private connections to over 223 countries and claims “state of the art data, voice and fax communications facilities for unmatched voice quality assurance.”