P1 did not reveal Wiggy’s price or speed at the sneak preview but sources say it will be priced somewhere between P1’s Pro and Plus desktop WiMAX package or RM99 and RM199 respectively. The glossy black coloured, slimline Wiggy is about the size of an iPod nano and has a fold out USB connector which lets be oriented horizontal, at an angle or stood upright in relation to the notebook PC for best signal strength. 

Its P1 W1MAX Connection Manager contained within installs the first time its plugged into the USB port of a Windows XP or Vista PC and thereafter, Connection Manager automatically launches and attempts to connect to the WiMAX network when the PC starts up or it is plugged in. No drivers are available yet for Apple Mac or Linux notebooks.

Wiggy was designed and developed locally by P1’s parent Green Packet and is made in Taiwan by a contract manufacturer. P1 is the world’s largest and leading 2.3GHz WiMAX operator and it had to go ahead and develop its own desktop and USB modems, since the global focus is on providing equipment for 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz WiMAX systems in North America and Europe. 

Due to a similar focus in the WiMAX Forum on certifying MAX equipment for 2.5GHz and 3.5GHz networks, Wiggy has not yet been WiMAX Forum certified but it has SIRIM certification. 

“If we waited for the WiMAX Forum to certify 2.3GHz equipment, we would not have been able to launch our services,” said Chong, who also expects multi-band WiMAX enabled notebook PCs to be available within two year, including for 2.3GHz WiMAX. 

Meanwhile, P1 launch its WiMAX service in Penang on 2 April, with coverage at launch of Penang’s business and lifestyle areas, such as Georgetown, Gurney Drive, Jalan Burmah, Jalan Kebun Bunga, Jalan Free School, Penngkalan Weld, as well as key areas on mainland Penang state including Butterworth, Kampung Jawa, Kampung Perlis and Kampung Bengali.