U Mobile

U Mobile Sdn Bhd (223969-U) is a Malaysian mobile telecommunications service provider and was founded in 1998 as MiTV Networks Sdn Bhd. U Mobile is a wholly owned subsidiary of U Television Sdn Bhd, which was formerly known as U Telecom Media Holdings Sdn Bhd and MiTV Corporation Sdn Bhd.

U Mobile Sdn Bhd
Private
IndustryMobile Telecommunications
Founded1998 (As MiTV Networks Sdn Bhd)
HeadquartersBerjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Key people
Tan Sri Vincent Tan
Wong Heang Tuck (CEO)
ProductsMobile Data
Mobile Telephony
Mobile Multimedia
Number of employees
700+
Websitewww.u.com.my 

The company utilises the 018 and 011 prefix allocated to the organisation by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), although with the implementation of mobile number portability mandated by the Malaysian government this does not apply to subscribers who switched from their old mobile service provider over to U Mobile.[1]

Coverage, Products and Services

As of 2015, U Mobile claimed to have 95% population coverage from a combination of over 10,000 sites of 3G and 4G LTE own-built, 3G RAN share and 2G Domestic Roaming with Maxis.[2]

3G RAN share is collaborated with Maxis Communications since October 2011 but ended on 27 October 2018 due to U Mobile awarded two additional spectrum of 2x15MHz of 1800 MHz bands and 2x5MHz of 900 MHz bands that were awarded by the government on 2016.[2]

Frequencies used on U Mobile Network in Malaysia
FrequencyFrequency WidthProtocolNotes
900 MHz (900~905, 945~950)2 * 5 MHzHSPA+
1800 MHz (1730~1745, 1825~1840)2 * 15 MHzLTE
2100 MHz (1920~1935, 2110~2125)2 * 15 MHzHSPA+/LTE2x10MHz LTE(2x5MHz 3G)
2x15MHz LTE only in some area
2600 MHz (2520~2530, 2640~2650)2 * 10 MHzLTE

Subscribers

As of Jan 2018, U Mobile has 6 million subscribers.

Corporate history

In April 2007, U Television Sdn Bhd signed the country's first nationwide domestic roaming memorandum of understanding, which led to an agreement with the mobile network operator Celcom Axiata Bhd allowing U Mobile's customers nationwide coverage while U Mobile rolled out its own high-speed mobile 3G service nationwide.[3] The agreement was completed in June 2007.

In December 2007, the 3G communications operators KT Freetel and NTT DoCoMo jointly invested US$200 million (est. RM669 million) for a total of 33% stake in U Mobile.[4]

In March 2008, U Mobile launched its first publicly available product called "Surf with U", a data-only plan for mobile users provided using U Mobile's HSDPA-driven mobile network. The following month, it rolled out its first mobile service, the postpaid U38 plan.[5] In July, U Mobile launched two new postpaid services, U68 and U98, and the 018 Prepaid service.

In 2009, KT Freetel, one of U Mobile's foreign investors, sold its 16.5% stake (62.6 million shares) to U Mobile's major shareholder.[6]

In November 2012, U Mobile activated RAN Sharing with Maxis and transitioned its 2G network provider from Celcom to Maxis.[7][8][9][10][11]

On 31 August 2013, U Mobile announced that En. Jaffa Sany Bin Md Ariffin has been terminated as the chief executive officer and ceased to be an employee of U Mobile due to disciplinary action. Accordingly, he is not authorised to act for and on behalf of the company in respect of any matter with immediate effect. He was appointed as chief executive officer of U Mobile on 1 June 2012.[12]

On 17 December 2013, U Mobile launched its LTE network on the 2600 MHz band that covers the Klang Valley. U Mobile has currently about 2 million subscribers at the end of 2014.[13]

On 1 April 2014, U Mobile announced the appointment of Wong Heang Tuck as chief executive officer (CEO) effective 1 April 2014, Jasmine Lee as chief marketing officer (CMO), and Alex Tan as chief sales officer (CSO) effective 1 January 2014[14]

On 21 December 2015, U Mobile announced that D.Y.M.M. Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Al-Haj (“DYMM Sultan Ibrahim”) has acquired a further 5% stake in the company to increase his stake to 15%. DYMM Sultan Ibrahim acquired his initial 10% stake in U Mobile in 2014.[15][16]

In February 2016, U Mobile confirms that it has been allocated with 15 years spectrum assignment of 2x5MHz of 900 MHz and 2x15MHz of 1800 MHz for full nationwide implementation starting 1 January 2017.[17][18]

In March 2016, U Mobile announced that it has partnered with Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP) to be the Official Co-Sponsor of the Superbest Power Piala FA and Liga Premier Malaysia for three years, starting from the 2016 season. U Mobile will be the Exclusive Telecommunications Partner for the two premier football competitions. The partnership with FMLLP will give U Mobile marketing, promotion and engagement opportunities around the two competitions, in-stadium branding, corporate hospitality and use of the club and player image rights for advertising purposes.[19][20]

On 26 May 2016, U Mobile become the first carrier in Malaysia to support Wi-Fi calling, initially only supporting iPhone owners owning iPhone 5c or later running iOS 9.3 and above. Wi-Fi calling for Android users are only supported on selected devices.[21]

In August 2016, U Mobile launched its first 4G LTE Advanced network at Kota Belud, Sabah.[22]

On 28 Jun 2017, U Mobile is terminating its network sharing and alliance agreement with Maxis Bhd which was signed in 2011. Maxis said on Wednesday the termination would take place in stages over 18 months and the completion date is on 27 December 2018.[23]

Stakeholders

The major shareholder of U Mobile includes Straits Mobile Investments Pte. Ltd (49%), followed by U Telemedia Sdn Bhd (21.46%), DYMM Sultan Ibrahim (15%),[16] Magnum Bhd (6.33%), Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun (6.2%), and Berjaya Infrastructure Sdn Bhd (2.01%).

Partners

U Mobile's partners include:

  • Atos Origin: Integrator of the BSCS iX Release 2 Billing System.
  • Ericsson: High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) solutions and management provider.
  • Huawei: Telecommunication equipment provider, from access layers to core transmissions.
  • LHS: Supplier of the BSCS iX Release 2 Billing System.
  • Nokia Siemens Networks: Implementation, integration, and application development of DVB-H services, including the maintenance of MiTV's infrastructure on a turnkey basis.
  • Rohde & Schwarz Malaysia: Supplier of low, medium and high powered digital television transmitters for the rollout implementation and coverage expansion of U Mobile's Mobile LiveTV.
  • Telekom Malaysia: Provisioning of backhaul connectivity services through TM Next-Gen Backhaul (NGBH) services.[24][25][26]
  • ZTE: Telecommunication equipment provider.
gollark: Just use better plastic.
gollark: Lighting idea: heat up LEDs enough that they glow incandescently.
gollark: I didn't even get to read that because the messages were [REDACTED].
gollark: Done!
gollark: Doing so...

References
  1. "Spectrum Assignment No. SA/02/2006 (Serial No : n.24656)" (PDF). Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission Official Portal. Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  2. "U Mobile ends Multi-Billion Network Sharing Agreement with Maxis".
  3. Surin, Murugiah (10 April 2007). "MiTV to offer 3G service in 2H". The Edge Daily. Archived from the original on 21 November 2007. Retrieved 10 October 2007.
  4. "KTF, NTT DoCoMo to invest $200 mln in Malaysia U Mobile". Reuters. 3 December 2007. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  5. "U Mobile Launches its Post Paid Service – U38 Plan". 15 April 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2008.
  6. "KT Freetel will sell 16.5% of its stake in U Mobile". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  7. "U Mobile Roaming with Maxis or Celcom?". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  8. "Maxis share its 3G network with U Mobile". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  9. "[Insider] U Mobile-Maxis 2G Domestic Roaming starting October". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  10. "[Insider] U Mobile customers can now roam on Maxis 2G network". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  11. "U Mobile-Maxis 3G Network Partnership now Live". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  12. "POSITION STATEMENT REGARDING TERMINATION OF U MOBILE'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ON 31 AUGUST 2013". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  13. "U MOBILE BRINGS FASTER, UNLIMITED MOBILE INTERNET EXPERIENCE THROUGH ITS 4G LTE SERVICES". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  14. "U MOBILE ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF NEW SENIOR MANAGEMENT ROLES". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  15. "YMM SULTAN IBRAHIM INCREASES STAKE IN U MOBILE". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  16. "Johor Sultan raises stake in U Mobile". The Rakyat Post. 19 December 2015.
  17. "U MOBILE SDN BHD ALLOCATED 2X5MHz OF 900MHz & 2X15MHz OF 1800MHz". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  18. "Spectrum: U Mobile has been allocated 2x5MHz of 900MHz & 2x15MHz of 1800MHz". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  19. "U MOBILE SCORES A BRACE WITH CO-SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT FOR SUPERBEST POWER PIALA FA AND LIGA PREMIER MALAYSIA". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  20. "U MOBILE SCORES A BRACE WITH CO-SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT FOR SUPERBEST POWER PIALA FA AND LIGA PREMIER MALAYSIA". MP & Silva. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  21. "WiFi Calling". U Mobile. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  22. "U MOBILE ROLLS OUT 4G LTE ADVANCED NETWORK COVERAGE IN KOTA BELUD". U Mobile. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  23. "Notice of Termination: RAN Share Agreement with Maxis". U Mobile. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  24. "TM & U MOBILE INKS COLLABORATIVE DEAL FOR NEXT-GEN BACKHAUL™ SERVICES". U Mobile. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  25. "TM U MOBILE INKS COLLABORATIVE DEAL FOR NEXT-GEN BACKHAUL SERVICES". www.tm.com.my. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  26. "U Mobile to use TM Next-Gen Backhaul services to accelerate 4G LTE rollout". www.malaysianwireless.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.