Our Network & Systems
These days, work and lifestyle without Internet connectivity is unheard of. Superior Internet experience has become more important than ever. Consumers and businesses alike want faster speeds and more data. Driven by this demand, we continue to invest significantly in upgrading our network and IT infrastructure. In 2016, we spent RM1.2 billion to strengthen our infrastructure so that our customers can enjoy a differentiated 4G experience on their mobile phones.
Demand for mobile data continues to grow rapidly with average data usage increasing from 1.5GB per month last year to 4.0GB per month in 2016. We have seen the penetration of 4G-enabled devices increasing to 43% of total subscribers in 2016 from 24% in 2015. Our 4G data traffic grew seven times in 2016, as more customers are using data for good quality video streaming. In view of this rapid growth and demand, we added extra data to our postpaid and prepaid offerings, allowing customers to enjoy more of our ‘Always-On’ network experience
In supporting our enhanced postpaid and prepaid offerings, MaxisONE and the new Hotlink FAST, we are working hard to continuously expand our 4G network. 2016 saw us expanding our 4G coverage to more locations across Malaysia. As at end 2016, we continue to maintain our LTE leadership with 88% of population coverage, making it the widest in the country. With these expansions, our customers in more than 220 cities and towns are able to enjoy the best 4G experience with fibre-like speeds on their mobile phones. With download speeds at more than 3Mbps 95% of the time, we are able to provide consistent Internet experience to our customers.
Aside from 4G, we also continue to upgrade our legacy 2G and 3G networks nationwide. These improvements drive a better experience for our customers in our existing network footprint. As at end 2016, over 94% of the population nationwide is covered by our modernised network for enhanced voice and quality data. We target to complete our planned modernisation exercise of our 2G and 3G sites by 2017, so that our customers all over the country can enjoy the best network experience we have to offer to date.
Alongside our mobile solutions, our Fibre to the Home (“FTTH”) customer base also continued to grow in 2016 with a 23% increase compared to the previous year. To date, more than 140,000 families and businesses benefit from our FTTH solutions (or MaxisONE Home) which offers up to 100Mbps fibre-fast connectivity to their homes.
Our offerings, not only limited to consumers, also provide various solutions to businesses. During the year, we delivered solutions for Inter-Office Enterprise connectivity to various industries, M2M solutions for vehicle tracking, retail and banking, software solutions for businesses and VSAT solutions for enterprise and SME. We also provide cross-border high speed bandwidth from Thailand to Singapore via our transport network.
In line with our promise to continuously deliver quality service, we made substantial investments to provide diverse fibre paths to reduce the number of customers impacted by any single point of failure. At the same time, multiple initiatives were implemented to protect against theft and fibre cuts. These efforts have resulted in continuous reduction of complaints over the last two years. In 2016, the number of mobile complaints dropped 31% lower compared to the preceding year.
Apart from finding new ways to enhance efficiency and sustainability, we also want to ensure our customers are connected in the event of a disaster. In anticipation of recurring floods, particularly during the monsoon season, Maxis has put in place several initiatives to address any challenges that may arise. This includes upgrading critical sites with permanent generators, raising platforms at flood prone sites, increasing the number of mobile communication vehicles and being ready to provide alternative communication such as satellite phones.
We have set in motion a number of initiatives to future-proof our service delivery and quality to our customers. For example, recognising that 75% of data traffic is contributed by indoor usage in Malaysia, Maxis deployed Lampsite technology in KLCC Suria Mall that improves indoor coverage significantly. This technology enhances data capacity to achieve downloads speeds of up to 225Mbps, which in turn translates to a vastly superior 4G mobile Internet experience for our customers.
Maxis is also the first to trial LTE Carrier Aggregation (aggregating of the 40MHz spectrum) with three component carriers (3CC) which allows peak downlink data throughput of 300Mbps. This feature, once deployed on our commercial network, in the future will provide peak speed broadband enabling more customers to enjoy a great 4G experience as they use more data.
Other technologies that we are exploring include virtualisation/cloud as well as 4.5G and 5G. These technologies will enable us to offer even better experiences for customers to enjoy.
Aspiring to provide differentiated network experience to our customers, Maxis is also the first operator in Malaysia to trial LTE 700MHz which will provide wider LTE coverage and better indoor experience.
