KUALA LUMPUR – Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Ramli Mohd Nor took the opportunity in the Dewan Rakyat to remind the Communications and Digital Ministry that it owes his constituency several telecommunications towers.
The Cameron Highlands MP directed his reminder to Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching, who was speaking about the progress of the 5G mobile network implementation in Malaysia.
“Deputy minister (Teo), you owe Cameron Highlands several (telecommunications) towers, get it done quickly,” he briefly said.
Ramli said this after Teo responded to a question by DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-MP) on the cost of the 5G network for users, and whether there is assurance that its coverage is implemented in several areas, including Cameron Highlands.
“We will prepare a written response (to your query), no problem,” Teo said in response to Ramli.
Teo also said the national roll-out for the 5G network coverage is at 54.7%, but the ministry was still committed to having 80% coverage in populated areas by the end of the year.
She added that as of now, the general cost of the network to users is RM1.68 per gigabyte (GB), but the price offered by Digital Nasional Bhd through reference access offers reflects a cost of only 13 sen per GB.
Teo said she believes its price will further reduce with the implementation of an expanded network.
Regarding the possibility of the cost of the network’s implementation being increased, Teo said the estimated cost of RM16.5 billion remains unchanged, and the ministry is conducting engagement sessions with other telecommunication firms on the direction of the 5G network in Malaysia. – The Vibes, March 13, 2023
