Digi 4G LTE network in Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis have been improved and now covers a large part of the human population, according to the mobile Telecommunication company (Telco).
In a statement, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd said it has strengthened its 4G LTE network coverage in Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis, enabling more customers “to enjoy reliable, high-speed mobile internet”.
“With new sites rolled out as well as upgrades on existing sites completed recently, Digi’s 4G LTE and LTE-A network now covers 92% and 73% of the population respectively in the northern states,” it said.
However, the Telco did not reveal the number of new 4G sites it added and the percentage of coverage prior to this upgrade in the northern states.
Kesavan Sivabalan, Digi’s Chief Technology Officer, says the company has completed about 85% of its targeted deployment and upgrades for the northern region planned for the year, and is working towards completing the remaining sites by year-end.
“These are our ongoing efforts in ensuring that we continue to provide consistent and quality digital connectivity to all. We are building new sites, as well as upgrading and modernising our existing sites, using the latest technology to boost capacity and improve both outdoor and indoor coverage, ultimately delivering an overall improved quality of experience for our customers.”
“Expansion and improvement works in the other regions are also progressing concurrently, and we are covering across urban, suburban and rural areas, although some areas might take a longer time to deploy as building new infrastructures cannot happen overnight. In any case, we understand our customers’ increasing need for internet connectivity and are constantly finding ways to accelerate implementation works. We look forward to providing more rollout updates in due course,” he adds.
To ensure its customers experience consistent connectivity, Digi said it overlays its sites with several layers of available spectrum. Further recent improvements carried out include intensive re-farming of 2,100Mhz (2.1Ghz) spectrum, previously used for 3G, to enhance its 4G LTE network performance.
Additionally, the 4G LTE advanced technology coupled with the use of 4T4R MIMO 9multiple-input and multiple-output) equipment has helped improved quality of experience for deep indoor as well as fringe coverage areas the Telco said.
Newly deployed and newly upgraded sites are also using the latest radio equipment with 5G-ready baseband units and 5G-ready platform, allowing 5G services to be enabled with a simple upgrade in time to come. Previously, Digi announced that it has partnered with global network solutions company, ZTE Corporation (ZTE) to upgrade its nationwide Radio Access Network (RAN), to prepare for 5G.
As of August 2020, Digi claims that its 4G LTE and LTE-A network covers 91% and 74% of the population respectively, together with a fibre network that stretches 9,850km. It has 10.68 million mobile subscribers.
