ENRICHING LIVES EXPANDING HORIZONS - Maxis

MAXIS BERHAD
ANNUAL REPORT 2011
61
“We are able to continuously provide
and roll out leading edge high speed
broadband infrastructure that enables
Malaysians to receive the full benefits
of next generation services. Quality and
good customer experiences are core to
our network design and services.”
Yap Chee Sun
Head of Network
As of December 2011, myLaunchpad, our internet portal targeted at the youth
segment, had 2.2 million unique browsers and ranked as the 2nd most visited local
website, up from 6th place in December 2010. This places our portal among the top
10 most visited websites including international sites in Malaysia. myLaunchpad has a
number of content and application verticals including Entertainment, Games, Sports,
Finance and News. It is an important platform for the delivery of our multi-screen
content strategy across mobile, PC and TV.
In addition to market-facing innovation, we continue to innovate our systems and
the way we operate internally. One such example is our world-class geomarketing
capability that provides customer analytics at street level and enables targeted
investments in our network and distribution channels. We continuously improve our
IT and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems for greater impact with
micro-segmentation, real-time billing and experience-based data pricing.
Recognition for our commitment to innovation was reflected in Maxis being awarded
the prestigious Global Telecoms Business (GTB) Innovation Award in November. Maxis
was the only Malaysian company to be recognised at the awards.
Network Infrastructure Ready for Medium-Term Internet and
Data Demand
In 2009, we embarked on a plan to modernise and augment our nationwide network
particularly for high-speed data. Maxis has built a high-performance data network,
rated by independent agencies as the best broadband network in Malaysia. In 2011
our capex spend was at RM1.02 billion supporting RM1.44 billion invested in 2010
and RM1.24 billion in 2009. As a result, we are now ready to roll out 4G-LTE services.
Our 5,146 HSPA sites are now serving over 81% of the population with high-speed 3G
network coverage, while our 2G network covers 95% of the population. Consequently,
our capex investment 2012 onwards will not be required at the scale incurred over the
last three years.
Agreements with Telekom Malaysia Berhad and Tenaga Nasional Berhad which were
signed in 2010, have been instrumental in expanding our fixed and wireless high-speed
broadband footprint to meet the growing demand for data and broadband services
across the country while rationalising our capex spend.
Future consumer demands for data, geographical coverage and licence obligations will
call for further investment in data networks, which will affect returns as ecosystems
will take time to scale up. Sharing of networks between operators is essential to
optimise resources, improve speed-to-market and expedite return on investment.
Maxis demonstrated a long-term view on this philosophy during the year by entering
into an active RAN sharing agreement with U Mobile for 3G and LTE, paving the way
for cooperation between operators and taking infrastructure sharing to a whole new
level beyond the passive sharing arrangements currently practised by operators in the
industry. Our agreement also encompasses LTE sharing which will deliver even greater
benefits to customers. We expect infrastructure sharing to continue at the industry
level as networks approach low-yielding rural geographies and as we embark on a
multi-player LTE journey.