Broadband service can only cost 27 sen a day: Zahidi

KUALA LUMPUR – Consumers can generally enjoy mobile broadband services for as low as 27 sen a day, said Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said the basic prepaid mobile broadband package is RM10, while the basic postpaid mobile broadband package is RM8.

“The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission constantly monitors the packages and prices offered to consumers to ensure they can access the internet at an affordable price,” he said during Question Time at the Dewan Negara today.

He was responding to a question from Senator Robert Lau Hui Yew on the government’s strategy in ensuring the price of 4G internet access is affordable, especially for the B40 group.

Zahidi said major mobile service providers were also offering free internet of 1GB per day, which is equivalent to 30GB of free data per month from April 1, 2020 until the end of this year.

Apart from the basic package, Zahidi said, most major mobile telecommunication companies have also offered unlimited data packages for prepaid plans at as low as RM30 a month from June 2020, equivalent to RM1 a day.

“Digi offers special data packages to youths aged 12 to 24 who subscribe to prepaid packages, at RM30 a month for 15GB of high-speed data,” he added.

Zahidi said that for high-speed fixed broadband services, some service providers offer a basic package of 30Mbps at RM80 per month.

For areas without high-speed fixed broadband coverage, Zahidi said, Telekom Malaysia offers its Broadband Lite Package at RM38, with 50GB of data, apart from other packages.

“Since the goal of the fixed line broadband package is for household use, and taking into account the Statistics Department report that the average household as of  2019 comprises four people, this means the price of fixed line broadband per household use is about 32 sen per day.

“Clearly, there are various options offered according to the needs and level of ability of consumers, namely through mobile broadband and fixed wireless broadband,” he added. – Bernama, December 21, 2021