Velchip signs three major partnership deals to advance the world’s biggest broadband powerline project

Velchip signs three major partnership deals to advance the world’s biggest broadband powerline project

Velchip Sdn Bhd has formalised three major partnership arrangements in Kuala Lumpur to advance its major broadband powerline (BPL) project for 60 million users in Indonesia.


AvantiKumar

Updated: Mar 28, 2008 10:45 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 MARCH 2008 - Broadband over Powerline (BPL) provider Velchip Sdn Bhd has formalised three major partnerships to advance the world’s biggest BPL project that was announced earlier this month.

Representatives of Velchip’s holding company, Masers International– Rahman and company president Wan Sarkawi Tuanku Jaapar Al-Yahya -- signed three main agreements in Kuala Lumpur, to be later witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Ahmad Badawi.

Badawi was reported to applaud the Malaysian company’s efforts to enhance economic growth and Internet literacy in developing countries as well as improve bilateral ties between Malaysia and Indonesia.

The first agreement was with investment firm Sarz Al Yahya Corporation, which will inject project financing of US$14 billion.

Secondly, the company signed with US-based satellite infrastructure provider STM Networks Inc. who will use five satellites to provide communications services.

Thirdly, a 100-year agreement was exchanged with Nadhlatul Ulama Indonesia and Manhad Islam Hadhari, the Indonesian clients responsible for the network of mosques that will be converted during the BPL project.

According to the company’s chief executive officer Suhaimi Abdul Rahman, the US$14 billion “Smart Mosque” project will be rolled out over three years in Indonesia and will link together 400,000 mosques and serve 60 million users.

“This project will offer 60 million users unlimited high speed Internet connection of 224Mbps (megabits per second) at a cost of only around RM5 (US$1.58) per user per month, which is the fastest and cheapest in the world,” he said.

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

Velchip is a Pinnacle worldwide partner of the upcoming World Congress on Information Technology (www.wcit2008.org), to be held in Kuala Lumpur in May this year. Computerworld Malaysia is the official IT media for the WCIT.