Sarawak Metro achieves major milestone with successful 4G LTE trial for ART system

KUCHING (Oct 5): Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd recently conducted a successful live trial of its Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project’s Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) LTE 4G radio telecommunication system for the LTE Band 39 evaluation.

The live trial was done in collaboration with its contractor for the KUTS’ System Package 2 – a joint venture between DOM Industries (M) Sdn Bhd and China Railway Electric Engineering Group Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Sarawak Metro chief executive officer Mazli Mustaffa in a statement described the trial as a significant achievement and another ‘first’ for the KUTS project.

“The other ‘first’ includes being the first operator in Southeast Asia to adopt the use of hydrogen-powered public transport vehicles.

“The success of this trial brings us a step closer to implementing a highly reliable and efficient communication system for the KUTS project,” he said.

He said once all the necessary approvals are obtained from the relevant agencies, KUTS is set to become the first public transport system in Southeast Asia to have a 4G LTE link on its ART system, ensuring world-class connectivity for public transport users here.

“This is a testament to our commitment to leveraging the latest technologies to enhance the efficiency, safety, and experience of our public transport system.”

Conducted on Oct 1-3 at a site along Jalan Datuk Mohammad Musa in Kota Samarahan, the live trial aimed to evaluate the LTE Band 39 communications spectrum from 1900 MHz to 1915 MHz for operational use.

This critical trial was conducted in support of Sarawak Metro’s application for a 15 MHz allocation of the LTE Band 39 spectrum from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

The live trial demonstrated that the operational signals in the 1900 MHz to 1915 MHz band would not cause any interference to the adjacent spectrum holders, namely Maxis, Umobile and CelcomDigi.

According to the release, the KUTS’ Radio Telecommunication System is based on the Future Railway Mobile Communication System architecture and utilises the LTE Band 39 frequencies.

The live trial was witnessed by representatives from MCMC from its Kuala Lumpur and Kuching offices, Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), and mobile network operators such as Maxis, Umobile and CelcomDigi.

The recent trial results indicated no interference was detected with any telco operators, confirming the suitability of LTE Band 39 for the ART system.

These findings will be incorporated into the formal spectrum application submitted to MCMC for approval, further advancing Sarawak Metro’s efforts to deploy cutting-edge communication systems for the KUTS project.