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Fixed Broadband Subscriptions Surges 8X As Consumers Enjoy Faster Internet Speeds

06 Mar 2019
FIXED BROADBAND SUBSCRIPTIONS SURGES 8x as CONSUMERS ENJOY FASTER INTERNET SPEEDS
 
CYBERJAYA, 6 March 2019 ---- The number of fixed broadband subscriptions with download speeds of more than 100Mbps have risen tremendously from 150,000 in 2017 to 1.2 million subscribers in 2018. The surge is mainly due to the implementation of the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP), which resulted in lower wholesale network pricing. This allowed the internet service providers in the industry to lower their retail prices for high-speed broadband services while at the same time increase the speed of connectivity.
 

Fiber optic network technologies that promise higher-speed, low latency and better quality of service will be the fastest growing technology with average annual growth of 11.9% during the forecast period (2019-2025).
“The Government’s plan to provide Malaysians with better connectivity through the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) will further boost the take-up rate of high speed broadband across the country,” said Al-Ishsal Ishak, Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Broadband subscriptions in Malaysia has almost doubled over the last five years to reach 39.4 million in 2018. New data released by MCMC show that the growth of mobile broadband subscriptions largely reflects the rising broadband penetration rate per 100 inhabitants from just 68.3% in 2014 to 121.1% in 2018, equivalent to 15.4% of average annual growth.
 

The upsurge has been mainly triggered by wider access to 3G and 4G/LTE coverage, improved network quality and increased competition in broadband market. As at 31 December 2018, 3G and 4G/LTE network expanded to 94.7% and 79.7% population coverage, respectively. Meanwhile, High Speed Broadband (HSBB) covered more than 5.5 million premises nationwide as compared with 3.5 million in 2015.
In February 2019, Speedtest Global Index by Ookla reported that fixed broadband download speeds in Malaysia increased by almost threefold to 70.18Mbps as compared to 22.26Mbps a year ago. Malaysia is now ranked 28th in the world as compared with 56th in 2017.
 

 
“In tandem with NFCP, the ultimate goal is to guarantee widespread availability of high quality and affordable digital connectivity,” Al-Ishsal Ishak concluded.
 
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