TNB to expand broadband service nationwide - Saifuddin

The country's largest electricity utility company, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) will expand the National Optical Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) project nationwide to enable more consumers to benefit from the service.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said, to date, five states - Malacca, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Johor  - will enjoy the high-speed broadband services by the first quarter of next year.

"This is a pilot project by TNB and I am led to understand that they are preparing to expand the development of optical fibre nationwide under NFCP to other strategic states throughout the peninsula.

"We laud TNB's involvement in this area. Most importantly, I see this as a complementary project between TNB and the telecommunications company to provide benefit to the people," he said after visiting the NSCP pilot project in Jasin, Malacca today.

Saifuddin (below) said the NFCP pilot project in the state encompassed 1,100 homes in three areas, namely, Felda Kemendor, Taman Merbau Perdana and Taman Maju in Jasin district.

TNB's wholly-owned unit, Allo Technology Sdn Bhd, in a statement informed that the open-access services network for the NFCP project was being expanded gradually to urban and rural areas especially in places with limited fiber optic infrastructure such as Alor Gajah, Malim Jaya and other areas involving 15,000 homes in the district.

For the record, there are four retail Internet service providers, namely, Digi, Astro, Maxis and City Broadband offering broadband bundled service packages, and through the offerings, houses in the areas involved with the NFCP project will enjoy high-speed broadband service from 30 Mbps to 1 Gbps.

The implementation of NFCP, which combines the use of optical fiber and wireless connectivity, is aiming towards achieving 98 percent broadband coverage in residential areas by 2023, with a minimum bandwidth speed of 30 Mbps.

- Bernama