Nationwide roaming for mobiles by year-end

By Goh Thean Eu

THE Government will implement nationwide domestic roaming by the end of this year, a move that will significantly improve mobile phone coverage.
With domestic roaming, a Maxis customer (for example) who is outside Maxis' network coverage will still be able to make and receive phone calls, using Celcom's or DiGi's network.This would mean that mobile operators will have to open up their networks. "It is mandatory (for the telcos to comply)," Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik told reporters after the ministry's monthly assembly in Putrajaya yesterday.Dr Lim said one of the ministry's 2007 objectives for the telecommunications industry is to improve the mobile coverage, and domestic roaming is "one of the ways to meet the Government's objective".Another way to improve the coverage is by building more transmission towers, explained Dr Lim. However, such a move is difficult as it requires approvals from landowners.According to a Government official, domestic roaming is currently being implemented in the country, but it is in a smaller scale and not at a nationwide level. "Domestic roaming is currently being run in two places, Berinchang and Bukit Tinggi," said the official.Dr Lim also added that the ministry has been allocated RM3.06 billion this year to implement projects. The ministry spent about RM2.5 billion of the allocated RM2.8 billion last year on development projects.