Maxis takes wireless broadband to next level

KUALA LUMPUR: Maxis Communications Bhd has become the first company in the country and among the first in Asia-Pacific to implement the high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA) technology in a live network.

Maxis yesterday announced its first successful data transmission using HSUPA demonstrating further progress in achieving a new level of performance in wireless broadband.

In a statement, Maxis chief operating officer Jon Eddy Abdullah said HSUPA would enable a threefold improvement in uplink data speeds, up to 1.4 megabits per second compared with 384 kilobits per second previously.

He said its wireless broadband coverage expansion and the introduction of HSUPA were key factors in differentiating Maxis from other 3G and wireless broadband operators.

“HSUPA will improve the performance of applications which require faster uplink such as e-mails and photo sharing,” he said.

Currently, Maxis has more than 700 wireless broadband sites on air, covering residential areas in the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang providing download speeds of 1.5Mbps to 3Mpbs using high speed download packet access (HSDPA).

Maxis collaborated with Ericsson, its 3G network supplier, to roll out HSUPA.

“The success of this first HSUPA data transmission establishes Maxis at the forefront of mobile initiatives, making them among the first operators in Asia to implement such powerful technology in a live network,” said Ericsson Malaysia president and country manager Krishna Kumar.

“Ericsson believes that wireless broadband on 3G HSDPA/HSUPA will play a significant role in meeting broadband access needs in Malaysia,” said

He added that the HSUPA would be able to support upload peak speeds higher than 5Mbps with future network upgrades and more advanced devices in the near future.