With the shutdown of the 3G network fast approaching, local telcos are getting ready to ditch the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology.
The plan to shutdown 3G networks in Malaysia is part of JENDELA, the government’s digital infrastructure plan with a shared aspiration for nationwide coverage and consistent quality of experience for the nation. JENDELA aims to strengthen the nation’s existing fixed and mobile networks to build a strong foundation for the eventual adoption of 5G.
Business Today talked to Wong Heang Tuck, CEO of U Mobile about their 5G implementation targets and if they are ready to shut down their 3G network, as local telecommunications companies are getting ready to let go of third generation wireless mobile telecommunications technology.
With the imminent shutdown of 3G networks being 6 months away, U Mobile says they have been working closely with the Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the industry to meet the JENDELA targets.
Like the other telecommunication companies, U Mobile is committed to meet 3G sunset milestones so that the 3G spectrum may be re-farmed or repurposed to be used for 4G services.
According to U Mobile, there are two aspects to the retirement of 3G networks. There is the infrastructure aspect and the end-user experience aspect.
“We are working hard to meet the infrastructure targets according to the set timeline. It is actually much easier to address than the end-user experience aspect which is a lot more complicated,” Says Wong.
At company level, U Mobile is actively engaging and educating their customers to upgrade their existing 2G/3G devices and 4G devices that have no VoLTE capability to 4G VoLTE – capable devices as soon as possible so that they may be able to continue to enjoy a superior mobile data experience as well as HD quality voice services, when 3G networks are shut down. They are currently urging their customers to check if their 4G devices support VoLTE and if yes, to activate the VoLTE feature on their phones.
On the industry front, U Mobile is glad that SIRIM is assisting the transition by no longer certifying 3G devices and 4G devices that do not support the VoLTE feature as of 1st January this year as part of the JENDELA implementation.
However, that has not stopped the open market from continuing sales of 3G phones as well as 4G devices that do not support VoLTE features. Apart from that, there are also many white label 4G devices in the market that do not support VoLTE features and are not SIRIM recognised, but they remain popular because of the price point.
He stressed that it is important for consumers to not purchase devices that are not SIRIM recognised.
“We have educated our customers about the importance of having a SIRIM approved mobile phone, not just for safety requirements but also to ensure that their experience will be seamless even when the 3G network retires. “
With such a massive undertaking as this, ensuring that business customers can migrate without disrupting their operations is crucial. U Mobile says that when it comes to business customers, the process is a lot more direct and customised as each client is being engaged by their enterprise representatives who have already communicated to them about the eventual retirement of 3G.
“We already have in place various device bundling plans to facilitate the eventual switch so that their experience will be seamless and their operations will not be disrupted.”
For customers who have concerns about migrating due to cost issues and disruption to systems, U Mobile said that assistance be to these organisations will be their top priority, which has always been to provide accessible and affordable products and services to Malaysians to be able to unleash their unlimited potential. This applies to device bundling plans being provided to their enterprise clients who may need to upgrade their devices.
U Mobile ensures that their plans enable customers to continue enjoying seamless and continuous quality experience and as a result their efficiency will not be impacted.
It’s reported that there are hundreds of thousands of equipment dependent on 3G to function, including IOT sensors, ATM machines, POS and more. Commenting customers’ transitioning process, U Mobile says that the majority of their current enterprise customers have equipment that are dependent on 2G rather than 3G, hence the 3G sunset does not pose that much impact. For the small group that may be impacted, they shall work closely with them to make the transition and even customise a solution to suit their exact need.
For example, U Mobile has an Enterprise partner who does not have equipment that is dependent on 3G to function, but they have a specific requirement that all devices being used within its manufacturing premises must not have a camera for security reasons. As all their existing 3G devices need to be upgraded to be 4G VoLTE-capable devices which have cameras by default, U Mobile is working with a mobile phone company to disable the camera function on a particular model for this partner’s device bundling.
In addressing the situation of people failing to upgrade or missing the deadline, U Mobile says that MCMC and the rest of the industry are collectively sending out information to customers regularly, regardless if they are individual consumers or enterprises, to make the necessary upgrades so that their data and voice experience would not be impacted with the retirement of 3G.
On the company front, they say that they have also developed various affordable and attractive bundles to give our customers every reason to upgrade.
“During this pandemic, many businesses are struggling to keep afloat and will be hesitant to incur additional costs, as many are questioning if this is a good time for a 3G sunset implementation. In whether extensions will be given to migrate, U mobile comments that 4G is the technology of current mobile communications and will be the backbone of mobile communications for many years to come.
“By upgrading from 3G to 4G VoLTE-capable devices, people are essentially future proofing not only their mobile communications, but also their learning, productivity and entertainment experience. Hence, the switch to 4G is an inevitable eventuality. By upgrading, the user will enjoy faster speeds, faster connection times as well as lower latency. On top of that, voice call quality will be in HD quality,” says Wong.
