I’ve been looking out for a broadband provider for a while and was trying to find some alternatives to TMNet’s Streamyx as I had heard some issues users were grappling with their connection and coverage. So when I heard about the launch of the Wimax by P1, I was pretty keen to check out what they could offer.

P1 Wimax

P1, owned by Green Packet Sdn Bhd, is currently the first company in Malaysia to launch the Wimax coverage services. They certainly have the competitive edge over their other 3 competitors who are also holding the Wimax license but have yet to launch their package and services.

Wimax, in summary, is an acronym for Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access which provides internet coverage for a wide area especially in metropolitan areas. It promises higher connection speeds compared to most broadbands or internet connections which make it a popular choice for internet users.

Currently, the P1 Wimax coverage in the Klang Valley is as far ranging as the KL City Centre, all the way to USJ and even Klang. All across Malaysia, Wimax can be found in states such as Johor Bahru and Penang to provide optional broadband coverage to internet users all around Malaysia. You can check the coverage for your specific area here or with any P1 booths which are available in most shopping centres.

When I checked, I was sad to hear that my area was not in the P1 coverage but because it just skimmed the coverage area, I was given a demo P1 modem to test! :)  Read about my review of the P1 Wimax coverage below! 

Review of P1 WIMAX Services

I stay in a high-rise condominium and was advised by the P1 staff that connection is usually best from 15th floor and below due to their tower signals. However, depending on your luck and proximity to the tower, you might still be able to get a good connection from a higher floor although you are not in their coverage area.

The modem came in a little purple cloth bag with their P1 Wimax logo.

wimax by you.

The P1 modem is a cute little fella with 3 blinking lights on top. It connects to a normal electricity input source and just requires a connection output cable to connect to your laptop. No messy telephone lines or wires to deal with!

wimax2 by you.

There are 3 little lights that take approximately 30 seconds to start up. The middle light determines the connection and will blink red or green, depending on the availability of the coverage.

Fast Wimax Connection

All I had to do was to hook up the connection cable to my laptop and I was almost instantly connected without having to go through any broadband connection or dialing in! For an area out of coverage, I was actually surprised to see rather high connection speeds and was advised that their speeds can reach up to 1.24 Mbps, depending on the package you take. That is the fastest speed available in the market at the moment!

Problems with P1 Wimax

However, I found the signal a little erratic which could be due to the fact that I wasn’t exactly in the coverage area. My Gmail, for example, had some trouble loading although it stabilised after a while. Depending on the location of the P1 tower, the connection also varied from various parts of the house and performed best when the modem was placed close to the window.

I also found that the P1 modem may not work if you are using a work laptop where you do not have permission to install applications. This is because the P1 modem will actually install a little application in your laptop or computer to enable it to connect so you will have to ensure that your computer allows installation of applications.

P1 Wimax Packages

Currently, there are 3 packages available for sign-up which vary from RM49, RM99 and RM199 per month for speeds of 400Kbps, 1.2 Mbps and 2.4 Mbps, respectively. P1 was previously running a promotion which provided a free modem for every package sign-up. Unfortunately, this promotion has ended and modems now have to be purchased at RM199 for a 1 year contract. However, if you sign up for a 2 year contract, you will still be given the modem for free.

So will I sign up for the P1 Wimax?

Well, I do have some concerns about their connection speeds as my area is out of their current coverage area and the stability of their connection over a prolonged period. However, should your area be within their coverage area, I would recommend P1 Wimax. It is incredibly easy to set up and charges a reasonable price for the speeds it currently provides.

Update on P1 Wimax: Based on the recent comments, it does seem like P1 Wimax is still in its stabilisation phase and many users have complained of erratic connection speeds and poor customer service. You might want to wait for a while to see how this stabilises over the next few months before committing to a package.