NEWS: Govt wants reasonable rates for broadband

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will study the existing rates for broadband services with a view to widening fast-Internet usage, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

He said that in this context, the ministry will compare the local charges with existing rates in several countries such as South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

“The ministry will find a way so that the charges for Internet and broadband services in Malaysia are affordable and do not pose a burden to users,” he said at a media conference after a special programme with Radio Klasik Nasional at Wisma Radio, Angkasapuri, here on Monday.

He said that although the discussion on the payment rates is not welcomed by the service providers, the ministry is committed to reducing the charges so that more people can use the service.

“We hope the charges for Internet and broadband services in Malaysia can be brought down so that they will be more affordable ... as such, all service providers must discharge their social responsibility to achieve the Government’s aspiration,” he said.

Not practical

Meanwhile, Rais said that using the number of households as an index for broadband penetration in Malaysia, which has been the case for the past 10 years, is no longer practical.

The minister said broadband penetration should not be focused on the number of households only but should also consider the number of users of cellphones and computers, which has reached 28 million.

“Using the number of households to calculate the broadband penetration index had been practised in South Korea for the past 10 years and Malaysia has also used the same method. So we used the number of households — which was six million (then) — to determine the broadband penetration index in this country,” he said.

“We did not reject it. In fact, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM, the industry regulator) had also recorded the rate of broadband penetration at 31% based on the figure of six million households.”

Although the usage of smartphones and computers have been increasing, Rais said it is strange that both these gadgets are not being taken into account when gauging the rate of broadband penetration now.

He said using the handphones as an index or indicator would be more accurate because there were now 28 million cellphone users in Malaysia and it can be said that most of them use handphones with the 3G (third-generation cellular) service, which means that broadband usage has increased.

More towers

In another development, Rais announced that the Government will construct more than 1,000 transmission towers of various sizes throughout the country this year to increase the penetration of broadband services in the country.

He said the building of the towers under the supervision of the SKMM will contribute towards increasing the broadband penetration rate in several areas in Sabah, Sarawak, Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, which was still below 15% currently. — Bernama