Yes 4G network: A dream service

Malay Mail, April 6, 2011

By FATIN SHAZA DZULKIFLY

KUALA LUMPUR: When Apple Inc's Steve Jobs attempted to unveil the much-vaunted FaceTime video conferencing application on the iPhone 4 last year, he encountered some unexpected, if not embarrassing problems.

The failure of the application to run smoothly on the state-of-the-art smart phone meant that the demo, staged in front of an eager world media, was nothing short of disastrous, with a red-faced Jobs pinning the blame on WiFi connectivity issues.

YTL Communications Sdn Bhd's executive chairman Tan Sri Francis Yeoh however, believes that such a snafu is a thing of the past with the introduction of its Yes 4G mobile Internet with voice service, which lays claim to be the first in the world to deliver high-quality voice calls on a mobile broadband network.

''Yes 4G network is the first network in the world to make Steve Jobs’ FaceTime dream come true. It gives FaceTime speed, clarity and mobility up to five times faster than a 3G network as it can carry more bandwidth and data,'' he told The Malay Mail in an exclusive interview recently.

Yeoh is understandably proud of this achievement as FaceTime is a key feature for the runaway global success of iPhone 4, straddling cellular voice and data network services for almost seamless videoconferencing sessions using mobile phones.

Yeoh said Malaysians can use the FaceTime application uninterrupted along the North-South Expressway on the Yes 4G network.

Since its launch in November, the fledgling network has successfully racked up more than 100,000 users. It is currently aiming its sights on the 400,000 student population in Malaysia, set to be its next target division.

Yeoh attributes the network's rapid success to the philosophy that the internet should be treated as a precious commodity, not a luxury. Offering pay-as-you-use at 9 sen for 3MB of data, one minute of calls or SMS, Yes offers the industry’s lowest rates, up to nine times lower than current prepaid mobile Internet and voice packages.

“The language of the computer and the Internet is a powerful tool, if we can master this language. It’s the language of languages.

''This is a 15-year dream and I want our people to enjoy this power and educate their children to move on ahead of the world.”

Asked if the government understood the realm's potential, Yeoh replied: “Civil servants have families and children. I think they understand the power of mobile Internet.

''Politics is politics but I must say, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is a great Prime Minister, as he had said he wanted to engage bloggers and go live on Twitter. I haven’t seen a Prime Minister this tech savvy. He tweets live and understands the power of the 4G network. He understands it in a way a leader should. If he understands it, I’m satisfied.”

Asked about those who questioned YTL's ability to maintain a foothold in the telecommunications industry, Yeoh said he believes that YTL's past projects should be viewed as a testament to the company's ability to produce and sustain high-quality, high-end services. Yeoh cited the Express Rail Link (ERL) service as an example.

The high speed rail project, linking town centres to the KL International Airport, initially drew raised eyebrows due to its RM2.4 billion cost but has so far proved naysayers wrong. With 30 million passengers so far having utilised its services, its managing company achieved profit in 2003 after only a year in operations.

Following the inception of the Multimedia Super Corridor under the stewardship of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Yeoh listed YTL e-Solutions and invested RM100 million in another technology firm. The company eventually matured into the business of Voice Over Internet Protocol. This later resulted in bringing down the price of IDD calls in Malaysia by 93 per cent.

To underline his seriousness in making the 4G network a success, Yeoh pulled no punches in making YTL the only company in the world to invest a substantial amount into the technology, which he said amounted to one sixth of the United States' budget on 4G.

Yeoh has since thrown down the gauntlet to existing players to do the same, if not better.

“I want to challenge existing players to spend money on 4G because then, mobile penetration in this country will increase and Malaysia will be the most advanced nation on this earth.

''I’d like the children of this country to enjoy being part of this.''

Precious commodity at the right price

YTL Communications Sdn Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri Francis Yeoh perceives Internet access as a precious commodity, identical to water and electricity supply.

He felt no one should be denied the right to such a commodity at a fair price.

“The Yes 4G network offers Internet access at the inexpensive price of 9 sen per 3MB, the cheapest in the country,'' he said.

“Why should technology for the average guy be expensive? YTL sits on the abundance formula, where we give technology to the average man at a fair price and I prosper from that.

''I want the average man to sit on my train and prosper. I want them to use my 4G network cheaply. At YTL, we want to give this precious commodity to the people at the right price. This is about doing the right thing.”

Apart from the absence of a contract or lock-in period for the Yes network, he said there was no expiry for the credits as well as up to 30 per cent rebate to subscribers who consume a high amount of data, with the rates going down to as low as two sen per MB or RM20 per GB.

At its launch last November, YTL Comms and Samsung introduced the first all-4G mobile phone, the Yes Buzz. Other Yes 4G devices include Yes Huddle (4G mobile router), Yes Go (4G USB dongle) and Yes Zoom (4G WiFi router).

Also launched were two Yes Valuepacks, priced at RM68 and RM150 a month, that offer 3.5GB and 10GB of data usage respectively. On top of mobile data, consumers get to make 250 minutes of voice calls and 250 text messages a month.

Recently, YTL Comms sold more than 7,000 units of its first two WiMAX-enabled handphones, Yes Buzz and Yes Zoom, priced at RM488 and RM399 respectively. These devices can be integrated seamlessly with other Yes 4G devices with a single Yes ID.