June deadline for MCMC to solve poor phone services

 

Communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil said the network coverage and quality of service by telecommunications companies still fall short in some areas.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been given until June to resolve service quality issues affecting telecommunications companies (telcos), says communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said there had been frequent public complaints about poor internet access in certain areas.

“There is an issue of in-building coverage because some users can only access the internet when they are outside the building. Once inside, the coverage drops. Certain equipment needs to be installed inside the building (to get the network) so there needs to be cooperation among telcos through MCMC on areas that should be prioritised.

“The quality of service on highways is also questionable while football fans have complained of the lack of network coverage in certain stadiums,” he told reporters after attending the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency’s Chinese New Year open house here.

Fahmi was answering questions about the ministry’s hopes for Budget 2023 which will be tabled on Feb 24.

At the same time, he said network service issues should also be resolved for the benefit of consumers.

“Users are penalised for late payments of telephone bills by having their lines disconnected, but when service quality is not up to the mark, telecommunications companies don’t get the flak,” he said.

He added that the ministry was also focusing on solving internet network problems, especially in 3% of populated areas involving the interior and Orang Asli villages.

“For most telcos, the cost of installing a fiber network in these areas is high and my ministry is looking into several ways, including the use of satellite internet systems and other technologies, to solve the problem.

“This is very important because to me this 3%, which covers 3,000 areas with a population of 50 to more than 100 people each, should be involved in the digital economy,” he said.

On the rise of vegetable prices, Fahmi, who is also the government spokesman, said agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu planned to create a big data system to address the issue.

“It (system) will cover stocks available, the types of crops currently in farms and what is available in the market. This will help in terms of long-term planning, and I believe that in the near future, the minister will resolve the issue in the best possible way,” he said. - FMT