Demand for broadband services grew 18-22pct in a year - Gobind

The demand for fixed residential and commercial broadband services rose by 18 to 22 percent from August 2018 to August this year, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

Gobind (photo) said the growth was achieved following the implementation of the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP).

He added that with the mechanism’s implementation, the number of fixed broadband subscription with the uploading speed of more than 100 Mbps rose eight-fold to 1.2 million subscribers in 2018.

"The outcome of the same initiative saw subscribers enjoying broadband services which were three times higher,” he said at an oral question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat sitting in the Parliament today.

He was replying to a question from Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka), who wanted the ministry to state the main successes of the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) since its launch last year and the focus or main projects in the short term in the future, especially for 2020.

Commenting further, Gobind said the MSAP implementation benefited more than 1.5 million broadband subscribers compared to the price charged before its implementation.

With the price reduction, subscribers for the initial package could now save RM50 per month or RM600 per year.

In addition, he said, beginning Sept 2019, Telekom Malaysia had also reduced the price for the Streamyx services for the existing subscribers to RM69 per month from the previous package priced RM110-RM160.

"With the price reduction, Streamyx subscribers could enjoy savings of RM40 to RM90 per month or RM480 to RM1080 per year," he said.

Gobind said planning for NFCP projects had begun since the second quarter of this year and were now undergoing internal approval process of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) before being implemented at the beginning of next year.

Among the major projects planned under the NFCP was the construction of the new communications tower at 153 locations throughout the country for preparing 3G and 4G cellular service coverage.

In addition, the construction of new communication towers in about 500 locations nationwide for the provision of 3G and 4G cellular service coverage, connecting fibre-optic network to 100,000 premises to improve quality and broadband speed in the suburbs and rural areas and the plan to provide and improve cellular and/or broadband coverage at 151 Orang Asli settlement areas nationwide were also being planned.

- Bernama