Vol. 4 / No. 1 | JANUARY 2010 THE IMPACT OF SPECTRUM On The Malaysian Economy Features MALAYSIA BROADBAND: A LEVERAGE TO NATIONAL GROWTH GROWTH AND CHALLENGES IN THE SATELLITE INDUSTRY THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING ALE RADIO TECHNOLOGY SPECTRUM COST VS NETWORK COST UBIQUITOUS LIBRARY RADIO FREQUENCY RADIATION STUDY Contents Features RM RM RM RM RM RM RM 13 Spectrum Cost versus Network Cost 04 Cover Story 29 Understanding Spectrum And Its Malaysia Broadband Importance To The Malaysian Economy A Leverage To National Growth mobile tv n etwork 3G in tera ctive 60 63 72 Will Our Network NCDG Spurring The Malaysian Beloved AM-FM Security Portal: Creative Industry Educating And Raising Radio Awareness On Internet Security Sound The Same Going Digital? Contents Personality 17 24 Andrew Ooi of Inspidea Growth and Radio Frequency Challenges in the Radiation Study Satellite Industry 34 43 50 ALE Radio Ubiquitous The Impact of Technology Library: Social Networking For Public Protection And Strategising Information Disaster Relief Operations Delivery Services To Connect Communities In a Knowledge Society Regulars 21 55 66 76 Personality Then & Now Building Bridges Happenings Andrew Ooi Social Networks Windows to The SKMM Events And of Inspidea Then and Now World Announcements 79 82 84 Notes From All Over Kaleidoscope Scoreboard News From Regulators Health, Food, Communications and Around The World Places & Productivity Multimedia, Postal and Courier A Selection Of Statistics From the Chairman’s desk n this wireless age, many essential services are delivered over wireless spectrum. Television, mobile phones, broadband and radio are among the most prominent of the many services that depend on the wireless space to operate. The wireless spectrum, like any of a nation’s resources is finite in its capacity. The efficient allocation and use of the spectrum are thus imperativeI for any nation. This is especially important as the economic impact of wireless services is great in these times of technology and knowledge that we live in. Our cover story in this issue examines the importance of the wireless spectrum. The article is both timely and enlightening and I am certain that it will benefit the readers. The related issue of spectrum cost vs network cost which is covered in another article in this issue adds more information on this subject. This issue also examines, in two different articles, the impact and the history of online social networks. These articles are interesting reads on a major trend that is shaping the lives of people today. This edition also features informative articles on the challenges facing satellite operators, an overview of the projects that have received funding under our Networked Content Development Grant (NCDG) programme, a report on the ongoing Ubiquitous Library Project which aims to set up an ecosystem that will bring the nation’s knowledge resources within easy reach of all citizens and an interesting feature story of how physically challenged people as well as people living in rural areas are being introduced to the Internet through SKMM’s USP projects. There are also two technical essays in this issue. The first presents the results of a study on the use of High Frequency (HF) adaptive radio technology in this country. HF adaptive radio is valuable during times of emergencies and disasters and this study adds important data to its use in this part of the world. The other article takes on the subject of radio frequency radiation. Features on the Network Security Centre portal, DAB-DRM-HD Digital radio and the Malaysian broadband experience round off this issue’s varied mix of articles. I trust you will enjoy reading this edition of the magazine. Thank you, Tan Sri Khalid Bin Ramli Chairman, SKMM Advisor Publisher TanSriKhalidBinRamli MalaysianCommunicationsandMultimediaCommission Chairman, Off Persiaran Multimedia, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Tel: +603 8688 8000 Fax: +603 8688 1000 Website: www.skmm.gov.my In-houseConsultant Email: [email protected] Toh Swee Hoe Publication website:www.myconvergence.com.my Editor PublishingConsultant Koay Hock Eng One World Solutions Sdn. Bhd. www.oneworld.com.my EditorialBoard Eneng Faridah Iskandar Printer Megat Ishak Ma'amunor Rashid Percetakan Jiwabaru Sdn. Bhd. Mohd Zaidi Abd Karim Zeti Marziana Mohamed Copyright 2010: Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Jamali Samsuddin All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher. All rights to brand Md Rusli Hj Ahmad names, registered trade marks, logos and images remain with their legal owners. Harme Mohamed The use of any images, trade names and trademarks in this publication shall not be construed as an endorsement by SKMM of any views, products Ng Wai Mun or services offered by the owners of the same. As such, the inclusion of these images, trade names and trademarks as well as the views and opinions of writers expressed in this publication may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes, implied or otherwise. Congratulations Ad2.pdf 6/4/2010 5:25:25 PM Cover Story UNDERSTANDING SPECTRUM AND ITS IMPORTANCE To THE MALAYSIAN ECONOMY It may not be visible to the human eye but the wireless spectrum has become vital to a nation's economic progress. Rafeeza Rahim, Haji Ahmad Nasruddin and Fiona Lim from SKMM examine its impact on Malaysia. 4 lthough it may be an invisible So what role can spectrum play in providing commodity, spectrum has always been development opportunities to the national competitiveness considered a prized asset with its value and aspirations? To understand this we have to look at often analogically associated and the socio-economic attributes that it brings. One view is measured akin to real estate. Just like that spectrum is an asset that has increasing potential the rush for land resources at the beginning of 20th to generate further economic growth of a nation. Thus, Acentury, conversely, the 21st century now sees the contributions to the economy include adding towards the rush for spectrum. Today, this unique property Gross Domestic Product (GDP), infrastructure development is understood to have become a necessity and and better commercial practices. prerequisite; instrumental in driving the nation’s But there are also other views of it contributing to social economic and social development forward. benefits, simultaneously enhancing outreach and delivery of connectivity to the rakyat especially those in the rural NationalImpact:Driving areas. More so, in the space of a decade, we have seen that UNDERSTANDING wireless networks and services have become a significant CompetitivenessandFulfilling part of the nation’s infrastructure. Latest figures in third Aspirations quarter 2009, shows that Malaysia already has a mobile The wireless industry driven by the efficient use of spectrum phone penetration rate of 106.1% where the number of will play a remarkably central role in maintaining and subscriptions has outnumbered the total population. SPECTRUM improving the nation’s competitiveness in the next 10 Truly, this makes spectrum availability such an integral years. Today, the wireless industry in Malaysia is already part of Malaysian lives. A promising avenue for sure is that estimated to be RM90 billion in value. With household the dynamic gains and opportunities of optimally used broadband penetration expected to reach 50% by the end spectrum will come in the form of increased speed, reach, AND ITS IMPORTANCE of 2010, the opportunity and possibility for the wireless data richness and economic efficiencies that is required as industry to grow in parallel with it are also high. As of 3rd Malaysia embarks on being a high income economy and quarter 2009, 37.3% broadband subscribers in Malaysia are innovative society. already using wireless broadband services, paving the way to more adoption in the next few years. UnderstandingSpectrum To THE MALAYSIAN Broadly speaking, this will make spectrum the backbone Anyone familiar with the broadcasting and for a wide range of industrial and economic activities of telecommunications industry would have encountered the nation when previously, it only provided a channel to 'spectrum'. Spectrum is the entire range of frequencies of communicate and used by a few public sectors. Spectrum is electromagnetic waves ranging from gamma rays to the therefore, of considerable economic importance especially longest radio waves including visible light while radio ECONOMY now to the new economy in Malaysia, both in terms of spectrum is a subset of the electromagnetic waves ranging market value and providing key readiness attributes such up to 300 GigaHertz. A valuable national resource, spectrum as competitiveness, sustained innovativeness, growth, is defined as electromagnetic waves up to 420 TeraHertz in and ultimately high employment rates for all. In essence, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and must spectrum is a valuable and strategic resource which must be managed efficiently to balance its increasing demand be utilised to its full economic potential and managed well to achieve the national policy objectives. The increasing for both public and national interest. demand is mainly due to the development of wireless Such readiness is also the fervent hope of the Malaysian applications and services serving and changing the way we Government in its attempt to put forth the new initiative of live, work and play when we are at sea, on land, in airspace the 1Malaysia concept – “People First, Performance Now”. or even in outer space. Due to its importance to the nation Here, it is the creation of a national well being by conferring and limited resource, spectrum has to be managed well to greater benefits to all, notably in terms of the delivery of ensure maximum utility to all parties. services and “reaching out” to the rakyat (citizen), to The use of spectrum is regulated by the governments in improve their quality of lives is of utmost importance as we most countries.