Malaysian communications firm launches the world’s biggest broadband powerline (BPL) project

Malaysian communications firm launches the world’s biggest broadband powerline project

Velchip Sdn Bhd is to roll out a major broadband powerline project for 60 million users in Indonesia.


AvantiKumar

Updated: Mar 11, 2008 11:21 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, 11 MARCH 2008 - Malaysia-based Broadband over Powerline (BPL) provider Velchip Sdn Bhd has announced it will roll out the world’s biggest BPL project to date over the next three years.

According to the company’s chief executive officer Suhaimi Abdul Rahman, the US$14 billion “Smart Mosque” project, which will be rolled out in Indonesia from this year, will link together 400,000 mosques.

This project will offer 60 million users unlimited high speed Internet connection of 224Mbps (megabits per second) at a cost of around RM5 (US$1.58) per user per month, he said.

“This is bigger than both the Google project in Texas (2 million users) and the 2007 IBM/Corinex BPL project (15 million users),” Rahman claimed.

Rahman tied up with France-based chipset manufacturer Spidcom Technologies for exclusive use of a high-speed communications chipset to allow the Velchip BPL modem that offers internet speeds of around 224Mbps. This is faster than the 200Mbps offered to users by the Google and IBM/Corinex projects, he said.

BPL modems use existing electrical power lines to deliver high speed Internet access and data transmission.

Islamic texts point out that mosques should be centres of worship as well as family and economic life, according to Rahman.

“However, the real vision behind the project is to offer a complete value added service to visitors to the mosques in Java and Sumatra, which would be equipped with economic and Internet enablers. Benefits would include distance learning, video on demand, health, travel, insurance, Islamic financing and banking services.”

The company expects to see a return on investment within four years on a cost of US$16,000 per mosque, which is the estimate to equip each centre with satellite connection, BPL modems and personal computers.

“This project will create many new jobs in Indonesia,” said Rahman. “For instance, to manufacture two million BPL modems a month, provide 400,000 satellite dishes and 10 computers per mosque, we will have to move manufacturing and maintenance services into Indonesia.”

The communications company is also a Pinnacle worldwide partner of the upcoming World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT2008, see - www.wcit2008.org), to be held in Kuala Lumpur in May this year.