CYBERJAYA, 25 January 2019 --- On October 2018, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had announced that the implementation of the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP) recorded more than 30% reduction for entry-level high speed broadband packages which has surpassed its initial target of 25% reduction originally by December 2018. At the same time, telecommunications companies (telcos) have also offered higher speeds with the same or lower price.
On the same month, Speedtest Global Index has reported Malaysia’s ranking moved up 10 points to 26 th place in the world with an average broadband speed of 61.97Mbps compared to the average world speed of 50.88Mbps. Also, in December 2018, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced that Malaysia’s ranking has increased 6 points from the 41 st to the 35 th place for the fixed broadband service category.
MCMC Chairman, Al-Ishsal Ishak said, “Malaysia is on the right track and expanding its footprint in the Digital Economy. As an organisation responsible to chart the country’s digital landscape, MCMC is aware that there is still room for improvement on quality and ensure that high-speed broadband services can be enjoyed by the rakyat.”
“We are aware that there are subscribers who have yet to get their broadband services speed upgraded. I would like to inform, the services and upgrades are being conducted by the telcos in stages and MCMC has been informed by the telcos that up to December 2018, at least 75% of the customers have been upgraded while the rest would be completed by middle of this year,” he explained.
There are complaints that customers are not enjoying the speeds as promised by the telcos. MCMC monitors the quality of broadband services according to the Mandatory Standard for Service Quality (Fixed Broadband Service) whereby customers should at least receive 90% of the speed offered by telcos at 90% of the time. If telcos fail to adhere to the Mandatory Standard, MCMC will take appropriate actions.
According to Al-Ishsal, MCMC will continue in its efforts to monitor the telcos and to improve the infrastructure for broadband services. For that purpose, MCMC is currently finalising its National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) to increase the coverage and speed for broadband services at an affordable price, to support the growth of Malaysia's Digital Economy.
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