If everything works out smoothly, it looks like Malaysians will be able to enjoy cheaper broadband services by next month. According to a Bernama report, the Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek has had a series of discussions with Malaysian telecommunications companies, and it seems that these telcos have agreed to reduce their broadband service charges by at least 6-percent.
The minister said that broadband access is something that should be enjoyed by all and it should not be restricted to only those with high income; low charge must be offered to attract more consumers in a free market. The minister also proffered that, apart from raising the standard of their service, the telcos should also reinvest in the development of their broadband services and build more transmission towers. This is to expand the coverage area and to enhance speeds, which in turn will encourage greater internet usage.
The series of talks must have been related to the Public Consultation Paper called ‘Affordable Broadband Packages’ that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission published last month. The paper presented questions and suggestions to which the telcos were required to provide comments and suggestions.
During the preliminary discussion, MCMC had originally proposed a 10-percent reduction to the entry level packages. Preliminary submissions by the telcos also pointed towards a 1 Mbps package with no data caps and a price range of between RM 68 – 100 per month for fixed broadband, as well as between 1 to 1.5 GB with prices ranging from RM 25 – 30 per month for mobile broadband packages. The commission finally settled on two specifications for the proposed entry level broadband packages to which the telcos were also supposed to provide both prepaid and postpaid plans:
- For fixed line, the package is supposed to have a least 1 Mbps of speed with a download cap of 1 GB, and it should have a 30-day validity.
- For mobile broadband, the package also had similar minimum data quota of 1 GB and a 30-day validity, but it was required to offer at least 3G speeds.
For this preliminary proposal, Altel, REDtone, and Tune Talk had responded that they would not be able to reduce their prices further, while Celcom, Digi, U Mobile, and YTL have requested for additional time to come up with their new packages. The remaining telcos that participated in MCMC’s preliminary consultation were Packet One Networks, REDtone-CNX Broadband, TM, and TIME dotcom.
The telcos had until 27th March to come up with their proposals and according to the Bernama report, they have indeed reached a final decision. Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek had announced that the results of these discussions will be officially announced in a month’s time.
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