Bandar Sunway to be first integrated wireless township in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: The Sunway group will turn Bandar Sunway into the first integrated wireless township in Malaysia by year-end.

The group will provide 30,000 Bandar Sunway residents and two million visitors yearly access to the Internet without boundaries.

The group with its partner, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1), had just completed the first phase of the township’s wireless broadband development while the second phase is expected to commence soon.

Sunway Group President Datuk Chew Chee Kin( (right), Subang Jaya Assemblywoman Hannah Yeoh (centre) and Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd (P1)CEO Michael Lai exchanging souvenirs after an MOU signing between P1 and the Sunway Group and the launch of the wireless broadband services at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa in Petaling Jaya - Starpic by Brian Moh

Sunway group president Datuk Chew Chee Kin said currently 60% to 70% of the township, minus the residential areas, had the Internet service.

“We have set up 100 wireless fidelity (WiFi) hotspots, benefiting business users, students and visitors. At the moment, you can access the Internet for free at Sunway Pyramid,” he said after Sunway group signed a memorandum of understanding with P1 to continue with the second phase of broadband development yesterday.

“After 20 years of developing this city to epitomise ‘resort living within the city’, we are moving ahead to become the first integrated wireless township in Malaysia and maybe in the region too,” he said.

P1 is a subsidiary of Green Packet Bhd, which was awarded one of four worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) licences by the Government last year.

P1 chief executive officer Michael Lai said the first phase of broadband development cost about RM5mil while the second phase’s cost had yet to be worked out.

“The current phase involves deploying (WiMAX) to cover more areas within this 800-acre township, complementing the WiFi usage that had been used in the first phase,” he said. The areas covered in the first phase include Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, Monash University Sunway Campus, Sunway University College, Sunway Metro and Sunway Mentari.

By The Star