Celcom Berhad
Encyclopedia
Celcom Axiata Berhad, DBA
Celcom, is the oldest mobile telecommunications company in Malaysia. Celcom is one of a member of the Axiata
group of companies. Being one of the very few companies in Malaysia to originally obtain a cellular phone license, it successfully introduced mobile telephony in Malaysia through its ART-900 (Automatic Radio Telephone) service, using first generation (analogue) ETACS
(Extended Total Access Communication System) specifications of the United Kingdom, a derivative of the US-AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) technology. The ETACS ART-900 was started using the prefix "010". Celcom now uses the dialling prefix identifier of "013" and "019" and offer digital GSM (Groupe Speciale Mobile), an originally European standard, now largely a world standard for mobile communications. The original frequency band for GSM is 900 MHz, and was soon extended to 1800 MHz to cater for a much wider bandwidth requirements.
Through the Mobile Numbering Portability by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, CELCOM also provides Virtual Mobile Operator services. Celcom also provides rural communications services using CDMA Technology and Satellite Phone.
prepaid brands. Current (published) customer base passes over 11 million, with blended ARPU (Average Revenue per User) stood at RM52. Celcom claimed a 95% nationwide mobile service coverage with 3G availability in most of Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Kulim and Penang.
In 2009, the 3G coverage covers most major towns where there is a telephone exchange and either HSDPA or EDGE services within 15 miles (24.1 km) radius (GSM UMTS maximum allowed range) with GPRS as basic data coverage.
When the cellular phone market was opened up in 1995, Celcom upgraded to the GSM900 service and quickly grew to become the largest mobile phone company in Malaysia. Competition soon sets in, and several digital mobile telcos compete for market dominance. It was the age of the phenomenal growth of mobile services.
During the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Celcom's owner, Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli suffered a debt crunch, and his shareholding in Celcom was seized by Danaharta, the national asset restructuring company. Failure to resolve his debts resulted in the controlling stake in Celcom being sold to Telekom Malaysia
, the government-owned incumbent fixed line operator in 2003. Telekom Malaysia proceeded to merge Celcom with its own mobile-operator subsidiary TMTouch through a reverse takeover of TMTouch.
Celcom was originally listed on the Bursa Malaysia
, but after the merger with Telekom Malaysia
Berhad, it has since remained private.
Owing to the bad management of its former management Celcom was as found liable by an arbitration panel in Switzerland for infringing an agreement signed with Deutsche Telekom
AG’s unit, DeTeAsia in 2002.
The tribunal ruled that Celcom was liable to pay DeTeAsia US$177.2 million in principal plus US$16.2 million in interest as well as other legal and arbitration costs. This works out to a tidy sum of about RM740 million, leaving Telekom to intensify its efforts at recovering monies from Celcom’s previous owners for their misdeed. Only then will TM be able to fully exorcise itself from the haunting of Celcom’s tumultuous past.
mobile community.
Celcom current CEO, Dato’ Seri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, has been with Celcom since 2005.
His contract expired in (2007) and has been renewed for another 3 more years.
announced a revamp of its mobile communication units which include Celcom. The revamp plan was to group Celcom under TM International, which houses other TM regional mobile units and define it as a separate business entity. The restructuring exercise was completed by Q1 2008 and the new business unit listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange
by Q2 2008.
TM International has been renamed as AXIATA as part of a telecom consortium in south east Asia. Its Stock Exchange code is AXIATA.
service providers currently operating in Malaysia (The others being Maxis Communications
, DiGi Telecommunications, U Mobile
)( Note: XOX, TuneTalk
, are Virtual Operators), used to have the widest 3G & HSDPA coverage in the country of 25 million people (since overtaken by Maxis Communications
). Celcom's 3G service was launched on May 17, 2005, in conjunction with the World Telecommunications Day, and has covered major towns such as Klang Valley
, Penang
, Melaka, Johor Bahru
, Genting Highlands
and Kulim
Hi-Tech Industrial Park at initial roll out.
Its 3G service continued to expand to various parts of the country in 2006. As of April 1, 2006, Celcom already has 3G network in areas such as Kuching
, Seremban
, Alor Star
, Sungai Petani
, Tanjung Malim
, Ipoh
, Bukit Merah
, Taiping
, Kota Bharu
, Kuantan
, Perlis
and Kota Kinabalu
. Recently Celcom launched their broadband service at Klang Valley
with 42 Mbps HSPA+ speed, an upgrade from the older 3.6 Mbps speed.
Celcom Broadband was awarded the prestigious Frost & Sullivan’s Mobile Broadband Provider for two years.
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
Celcom, is the oldest mobile telecommunications company in Malaysia. Celcom is one of a member of the Axiata
Axiata Group Berhad
Axiata Group Berhad , DBA Axiata , is one of the leading telecommunication companies in Asia.- The Group :...
group of companies. Being one of the very few companies in Malaysia to originally obtain a cellular phone license, it successfully introduced mobile telephony in Malaysia through its ART-900 (Automatic Radio Telephone) service, using first generation (analogue) ETACS
Total Access Communication System
Total Access Communication System and ETACS are mostly-obsolete variants of AMPS which were used in some European countries . TACS was also used in Japan under the name Japanese Total Access Communication . It was also used in Hong Kong...
(Extended Total Access Communication System) specifications of the United Kingdom, a derivative of the US-AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) technology. The ETACS ART-900 was started using the prefix "010". Celcom now uses the dialling prefix identifier of "013" and "019" and offer digital GSM (Groupe Speciale Mobile), an originally European standard, now largely a world standard for mobile communications. The original frequency band for GSM is 900 MHz, and was soon extended to 1800 MHz to cater for a much wider bandwidth requirements.
Through the Mobile Numbering Portability by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, CELCOM also provides Virtual Mobile Operator services. Celcom also provides rural communications services using CDMA Technology and Satellite Phone.
Services and coverage
Celcom claims to have the widest and most extensive coverage nationwide, compared to other cellular services in Malaysia. Celcom claims its dual-band GSM (900/1800 MHz) coverage has reached over 97% of Malaysia's populated area in 2006, and 100% through satellite coverage. As of 2006 Celcom is offering both 2.5G and 3G services on its postpaid and XpaxXpax
Xpax is Celcom's brand of prepaid mobile phone services currently operating on both 2G and 3G network . Xpax subscribers are allowed to be in either one of two package; Mid or Lite Plan, where the rates for voice/video calls and text messaging differs...
prepaid brands. Current (published) customer base passes over 11 million, with blended ARPU (Average Revenue per User) stood at RM52. Celcom claimed a 95% nationwide mobile service coverage with 3G availability in most of Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Kulim and Penang.
In 2009, the 3G coverage covers most major towns where there is a telephone exchange and either HSDPA or EDGE services within 15 miles (24.1 km) radius (GSM UMTS maximum allowed range) with GPRS as basic data coverage.
History
Celcom started its operation as STM Cellular Communications in 1988 with Fleet Group and Telekom Malaysia as shareholders. Subsequently Telekom Malaysia sold its 51% shareholding to the TRI group which was controlled by Tajuddin Ramli. Fleet Group's share meanwhile was transferred to the Time Engineering group which was later sold to TRI. In the initial years Celcom experienced a tremendous growth in subcriber base and network coverage under the stewardship of Rosli Man, the President of the company. It was during his tenure that Celcom turned into the leading cellular companies in Malaysia. He left Celcom in 1996.When the cellular phone market was opened up in 1995, Celcom upgraded to the GSM900 service and quickly grew to become the largest mobile phone company in Malaysia. Competition soon sets in, and several digital mobile telcos compete for market dominance. It was the age of the phenomenal growth of mobile services.
During the Asian financial crisis in 1997, Celcom's owner, Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli suffered a debt crunch, and his shareholding in Celcom was seized by Danaharta, the national asset restructuring company. Failure to resolve his debts resulted in the controlling stake in Celcom being sold to Telekom Malaysia
Telekom Malaysia
Telekom Malaysia Berhad , DBA TM, is the largest integrated solutions provider in Malaysia, and one of Asia's leading communications companies, with a market capitalisation of RM13.9 billion and a workforce of 26,629 employees. Established as the Telecommunications Department of Malaya in 1946, it...
, the government-owned incumbent fixed line operator in 2003. Telekom Malaysia proceeded to merge Celcom with its own mobile-operator subsidiary TMTouch through a reverse takeover of TMTouch.
Celcom was originally listed on the Bursa Malaysia
Bursa Malaysia
Bursa Malaysia is an exchange holding company approved under Section 15 of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007. It operates a fully integrated exchange, offering the complete range of exchange-related services including trading, clearing, settlement and depository services.- History :Bursa...
, but after the merger with Telekom Malaysia
Telekom Malaysia
Telekom Malaysia Berhad , DBA TM, is the largest integrated solutions provider in Malaysia, and one of Asia's leading communications companies, with a market capitalisation of RM13.9 billion and a workforce of 26,629 employees. Established as the Telecommunications Department of Malaya in 1946, it...
Berhad, it has since remained private.
Owing to the bad management of its former management Celcom was as found liable by an arbitration panel in Switzerland for infringing an agreement signed with Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom AG is a telecommunications company headquartered in Bonn, Germany. It is the largest telecommunications company in Europe....
AG’s unit, DeTeAsia in 2002.
The tribunal ruled that Celcom was liable to pay DeTeAsia US$177.2 million in principal plus US$16.2 million in interest as well as other legal and arbitration costs. This works out to a tidy sum of about RM740 million, leaving Telekom to intensify its efforts at recovering monies from Celcom’s previous owners for their misdeed. Only then will TM be able to fully exorcise itself from the haunting of Celcom’s tumultuous past.
Current developments
Celcom is the Malaysian partner of the VodafoneVodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
mobile community.
Celcom current CEO, Dato’ Seri Mohammed Shazalli Ramly, has been with Celcom since 2005.
His contract expired in (2007) and has been renewed for another 3 more years.
Demerger from Telekom Malaysia
On September 28, 2007, Telekom MalaysiaTelekom Malaysia
Telekom Malaysia Berhad , DBA TM, is the largest integrated solutions provider in Malaysia, and one of Asia's leading communications companies, with a market capitalisation of RM13.9 billion and a workforce of 26,629 employees. Established as the Telecommunications Department of Malaya in 1946, it...
announced a revamp of its mobile communication units which include Celcom. The revamp plan was to group Celcom under TM International, which houses other TM regional mobile units and define it as a separate business entity. The restructuring exercise was completed by Q1 2008 and the new business unit listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange
Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange
The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange dates back to 1930 when the Singapore Stockbrokers' Association was set up as a formal organisation dealing in securities in Malaya...
by Q2 2008.
TM International has been renamed as AXIATA as part of a telecom consortium in south east Asia. Its Stock Exchange code is AXIATA.
Celcom 3G
Celcom, as one of four 3G3G
3G or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications is a generation of standards for mobile phones and mobile telecommunication services fulfilling the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 specifications by the International Telecommunication Union...
service providers currently operating in Malaysia (The others being Maxis Communications
Maxis Communications
Maxis Communications Berhad is a Malaysian cellular operator company headquartered at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was started in the year 1993. It uses the dialing pref ix identifier of "012" , "017" and “0142”. Their mobile services are provided over the 900 & 1800 MHz GSM band and as July 2005,...
, DiGi Telecommunications, U Mobile
U Mobile
U Mobile Sdn Bhd is Malaysia’s newest 3G service provider and was founded in 1998 as MiTV Networks Sdn Bhd. U Mobile is a wholly owned subsidiary of U Television Sdn Bhd which was formerly known as U Telecom Media Holdings Sdn Bhd and MiTV Corporation Sdn Bhd....
)( Note: XOX, TuneTalk
TuneTalk
Tune Talk is a mobile virtual network operator in the Malaysia, using the Celcom network.Tune Talk Sdn. Bhd., the newest mobile operator in the country, officially launched its commercial service on 19 August 2009....
, are Virtual Operators), used to have the widest 3G & HSDPA coverage in the country of 25 million people (since overtaken by Maxis Communications
Maxis Communications
Maxis Communications Berhad is a Malaysian cellular operator company headquartered at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was started in the year 1993. It uses the dialing pref ix identifier of "012" , "017" and “0142”. Their mobile services are provided over the 900 & 1800 MHz GSM band and as July 2005,...
). Celcom's 3G service was launched on May 17, 2005, in conjunction with the World Telecommunications Day, and has covered major towns such as Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
, Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, Melaka, Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...
, Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands
Genting Highlands otherwise known as Resorts World Genting is the flagship integrated resort developed by Genting Group. It is nestled on a mountain peak within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia...
and Kulim
Kulim
Kulim is the third largest town in Kedah after Alor Star and Sungai Petani is located at the South East of Kedah state and East of Penang state in Malaysia. Kulim is a district consist of 15 smaller sub-districts also known as "mukim"...
Hi-Tech Industrial Park at initial roll out.
Its 3G service continued to expand to various parts of the country in 2006. As of April 1, 2006, Celcom already has 3G network in areas such as Kuching
Kuching
Kuching , officially the City of Kuching, and formerly the City of Sarawak, is the capital and most populous city of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak. It is the largest city on the island of Borneo, and the fourth largest city in Malaysia....
, Seremban
Seremban
Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan. The town's administration is run by the Seremban Municipal Council or Majlis Perbandaran Seremban...
, Alor Star
Alor Star
Alor Setar, known as Alor Star between 2004 and 2008, is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia, and Kota Setar District's Administrative Centre. It is also a distribution center for manufacturing and agricultural products such as paddy, and the royal seat of the Kedah state since the establishment...
, Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani
Sungai Petani is a town in the state of Kedah, in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Sungai Petani is the second largest town in Kedah after Alor Star.-Etmylogy:...
, Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim
Tanjung Malim is a town in the state of Perak, Malaysia. It is approximately north of Kuala Lumpur via the North-South Expressway. It lies on the Perak-Selangor state border, with Sungai Bernam serving as the natural divider....
, Ipoh
Ipoh
Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state, Malaysia. It is approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur on the North-South Expressway....
, Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah is a hill in Singapore. Previously, it was a much larger hill that was situated at the present site of Henderson housing estate, which lies opposite the Delta Sports Complex. There was a Chinese cemetery on the reverse side of the hill. The present Bukit Merah Secondary School and...
, Taiping
Taiping, Perak
Taiping is a town located in northern Perak, Malaysia. With a population of 191,104 , it is the second largest town in Perak after Ipoh, the state capital. Taiping took over Kuala Kangsar's role as the state capital from 1876 to 1937, but was then replaced by Ipoh...
, Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu is a city in Malaysia, is the state capital and Royal City of Kelantan. It is also the name of the territory in which Kota Bharu City is situated. The name means 'new city' or 'new castle/fort' in Malay. Kota Bharu is situated in the northeastern part of Peninsular Malaysia, and lies...
, Kuantan
Kuantan
Kuantan is the state capital of Pahang, the 3rd largest state in Malaysia. It is situated near the mouth of the Kuantan River and faces the South China Sea. If one measures the distance along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it is located roughly halfway between Singapore and Kota Bharu...
, Perlis
Perlis
Perlis is the smallest state in Malaysia. It lies at the northern part of the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and has Satun and Songkhla Provinces of Thailand on its northern border. It is bordered by the state of Kedah to the south...
and Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount...
. Recently Celcom launched their broadband service at Klang Valley
Klang Valley
Klang Valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kuala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. An alternative reference to this would be Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Area or Greater Kuala Lumpur. It is geographically delineated by Titiwangsa Mountains to the...
with 42 Mbps HSPA+ speed, an upgrade from the older 3.6 Mbps speed.
Celcom Broadband
Celcom Broadband is Malaysia’s No.1 Mobile Broadband Provider, with 857,000 subscribers in 2010. The broadband network cover 71% of Malaysia populated areas.Celcom Broadband was awarded the prestigious Frost & Sullivan’s Mobile Broadband Provider for two years.