UPDATED 10/19: Malaysia’s Digi Telecommunications said its 4G network now covers 50 per cent of the population, putting its LTE rollout schedule ahead of its 45 per cent target by the end of the year.

The operator, the country’s third largest with a market share of 27 per cent – narrowly behind Celcom Axiata with a 29 per cent share — said it will double the number of 4G base stations this year by adding more than 1,500 sites.

Digi had 240,000 4G connections at the end of Q3, which represents about 2 per cent of its 11.7 million connections. It has just 5 per cent of the country’s 4G connections after taking 9 per cent of net 4G additions in Q3.

Market leader Maxis had 2.2 million 4G connections (47 per cent share) and number 2 Celcom had 430,000 4G connections (a 9 per cent share).

WiMAX player YTL Communications, which operates under the Yes brand, accounted for 27 per cent of Malaysia’s 4G connections in Q3, according to GSMA Intelligence.

Digi CEO Albern Murty said it has aggressively expanded its LTE reach in 28 major cities and secondary towns nationwide, with key market centres having an average population coverage of 80 per cent.

It has deployed 4G on the 1.8GHz and 2.6GHz bands and overlays both spectrum bands in an increasing number of market centres, Murty said.

In the last three years Digi spent MYR2.3 billion ($515 million) on capex, primarily going to its network, and has committed an additional MYR900 million this year to further strengthen its network.

More than 60 per cent of its consumers have mobile internet plans.