P1 vs Yes Wimax marketing plan

Both P1 and YTL Yes are Wimax internet service providers. Even though Yes marketing themselves as 4G network provider and follow by P1, they are just Wimax service providers. I think is a confusing the consumers like us to name themselves as 4G network. I don't really care if they are 4G, 3G or WiMax, as long as the can provide a good and reliable service.

For those who doesn't know what is Wimax. Wimax is just like WiFi. WiFi (normally) cover 100m range, but Wimax cover few kilometers area. Home usage, we use WiFi, to cover a larger area like a city or district, is better to use Wimax.

Wimax and WiFi are not compatible. You need different modem for WiFi and Wimax. Your notebook which is WiFi enable are not able to connect to Wimax network, unless your notebook is Wimax enable. Most desktop, notebook, and mobile devices out there are WiFi enable but not Wimax enable. Normally you need to purchase a Wimax modem from the service provider.

P1 started to provide WiMax internet service back in 2008, I have tried and very disappointed with them, including the network quality and front desk support (read my story here and here). The P1 service seems to be improved when I visit them again about a year ago, but too bad that I have decided to drop P1 and go for Streamyx again.

I have not tried Yes mobile internet service, so I don't comment on the network quality. By looking at the marketing plan as a consumer, there is a big gap between P1 and Yes.

Yes has flexible prepaid plan. With Yes, you just paid for what you use, 3 cents per MB (reference price is RM1 per MB). If you are a frequent user, you can subscribe to 30-days value pack at any point of time with even cheaper rate. What you need is just a Yes ID to acces to their service, to maintain the Yes ID, you need to use RM30 per month. P1 has prepaid and monthly postpaid plan, but the postpaid plan still came with a 12 months contract.

Yes has multiple choice of devices. You can get a home base modem (Zoom), usb modem (go), portable WiFi (huddle), WiMax mobile phone (buzz) and even software phone (Yes Life). You can check the devices available here. P1 only have home base modem and usb modem. I believe P1 will came out with more devices like Yes, but we have to wait and observe.

Yes ID came with a mobile phone number. You can purchase the specialize buzz phone to use the mobile number or you can download the Yes Life software to use as a VoIP phone.

Yes looks more like a mobile network operator than just a internet broadband provider. P1 started at least 2 years ahead of Yes, but what Yes is doing now really gave P1 a slap on the face.