TIME launches ISP services, apes Maxis model

KUALA LUMPUR--TIME dotNet Bhd, TIME dotCom's Internet service provider (ISP) unit, today launched its much-awaited Internet services which at the outset, seem no less different from those by other existing ISPs from a cost standpoint.

The company has chosen to stick to the same rule of no subscription charges as adopted by Maxis Communications when it launched its ISP service, MaxisNet, in March this year.

TIMENet subscribers would have to pay 3 sen (cents) per minute for telecommunications charges whilst anyone who is or becomes, a subscriber of Time dotCom's services, will receive a rebate of 0.5 sen per minute. (MaxisNet operates on a similar model for its Maxis Mobile subscribers).

Admitting that charges-wise TIMEnet is no different, TIME dotCom managing director Halim Saad said the company is poised to capture a larger market share based on speed, content and branding more than anything else.

"We have the most extensive fiber optic network in the country spanning 5,200km which will provide much faster Internet access service to subscribers than the other ISPs in the country," he told journalists after the launch.

TIME dotNET will leverage this network as well as its tie-up with Orblynx, a leading Internet caching technology specialist from the US.

"Orblynx's caching technology helps store content within the country instead of the US, thereby reducing the time taken to access information which means less congestion lines and faster surfing speeds," said TIME dotNet chief operating officer Tan Eng Suan.

At the July press conference, Orblynx chief executive officer Dr Ashok Thareja even claimed that if the content resided locally, Orblynx technology could quicken surfing speeds by as much as 10 times.

Tan, however, admits the fact that since the "last mile" (the portion of phone lines between the home and the nearest switch) is still copper and not fiber optic-based, surfing speeds would only be marginally higher. However, he could not give details on TIMENet's exact surfing speeds, saying they differ from one area to the next.

Most analog phone lines--similar to those provided to most homes by Telekom Malaysia--combined with analog modems, typically achieve a transmission rate of only about 28.8 Kbps. When the network is not as congested, it is sometimes possible to reach 33.6 Kbps or more than 40 Kbps of transmission rate. It is somewhat of a luxury to get a full 56 Kbps.

TIMENet Internet access services comprise dial-up and leased line services while the virtual hosting services comprise Web Hosting, Virtual Private Server, Server Co-Location, Dedicated Server, Corporate Email and Domain Name Parking.

According to Tan, TIME dotNet's second wave of Internet services towards the year-end will include e-commerce services.

"In terms of investments to roll out TIMENet, the company spent RM50 million on additional hardware and RM10 million on applications and systems," Tan added.

TIME dotNet is targeting a subscriber base of 400,000 within the first six months. TIME dotCom currently has 865,300 subscribers for its services such as TIME IDD Ekonomi, TIME Gold and TIME Cell (formerly known as Adam).

3G licence in the works
TIME dotCom's fiber optic network is also seen as the key factor in the company's bid for a 3G licence once the sector is opened up by the government, a report in The Star said today.

Halim was quoted as saying the network would save the company about 65 percent of the US$1 billion (RM3.8 billion) needed to operate a 3G licence.

"We believe our chances of obtaining a 3G licence are better because we already have an existing backbone network which is able to support 3G," he said.

TIME dotCom has announced it plans to roll out its general radio packet service GPRS this December. GPRS is seen as a stepping stone towards 3G technology which supports full wireless multimedia at high speeds of 115 Kbps.