Central Region News (excluding Federal Territory) November 06, 2009 19:12 PM P1 To Allocate Up To RM300 Million Capex For 2010 PETALING JAYA, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Packet One Networks (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd (P1) is setting aside between RM200 million and RM300 million for its capital expenditure (capex) next year. The capex will include expansion into Sabah and Sarawak, said its chief executive officer Michael Lai at a media briefing here today. In the past 13 months, P1 had spent about RM300 million in rolling out its Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) programme, Lai said. He said that P1 was on track with its original coverage target as it planned to cover 45 per cent of West Malaysia's population by 2010, and 65 per cent of the country's population in 2012. To cover 65 per cent of population and beyond, the total investment could range from RM1 billion to RM1.5 billion, Lai said. "The plan is to work within RM1 billion to cover 65 per cent of the population but we want to aggressively cover up to 75 to 85 per cent of the population, then the additional RM500 million investment will be needed," he said. According to him. there are various ways to raise the fund for the capex but he declined to elaborate. On the expansion plan of P1 regionally, Lai said it would focus on Southeast Asia. He said P1 had already secured a licence to deploy WiMAX nationwide in Singapore, adding that the commercial roll-out could take place at the end of 2010. On another matter, Lai said P1 was awaiting confirmation from the WiMAX Forum, an industry-led organisation formed to certify and promote broadband wireless products based on WiMAX, concerning its appointment into the WiMAX Forum's broad of directors. He said P1's appointment into the WiMAX Forum board would meant that for the first time, Malaysia could play a critical role in shaping the future of fourth generation wireless broadband. According to him, no other telecommunication company in Malaysia has yet to be given such an important role within the telecommunication world. -- BERNAMA