Yesterday, we reported that TM has quietly revised its new 500Mbps Unifi Fibre broadband plan with 50% reduced upload speed. The plan was introduced on 24th August with 200Mbps upload, however, we were alerted by one of our readers that the plan was actually offering 100Mbps upload instead.

TM has reached out to us and below is their official statement:

We refer to your article titled ‘PSA: TM reduces upload speed for 500Mbps unifi plan by 50%’ on 18 September 2020 highlighting the change of upload speed of unifi’s 500Mbps package.

Telekom Malaysia Berhad wishes to clarify that there has been no change to the upload speed configuration for its existing unifi 500Mbps package. 

We wish to inform that a correction was made to an error in the upload speed for its 500Mbps package stated in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), unifi Portal and leaflets on 2 September 2020. The correct upload speed configuration for its 500Mbps is 100Mbps instead of 200Mbps stated in the earlier version of the FAQs, unifi Portal and leaflets.

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and assure our customers that all of our channels, including our website and marketing materials have been updated to reflect the correct information.

For any queries please reach out to our customer service representatives at our call centre 100, TMpoints nationwide or virtual agents via myunifi app.

According to TM, the mention of the 200Mbps upload speed for the 500Mbps Unifi plan on their various communication channels was a “mistake” and there has been “no change” to the upload configuration for the package which is supposed to be 100Mbps. In their statement, TM has also admitted that they have corrected the error on the 2nd September 2020.

False advertising

The “mistake” has undoubtedly misled consumers into thinking that they are offering 200Mbps upload for the 500Mbps plan. This is considered false advertising as consumers are not getting exactly what was advertised on their website, leaflets and FAQ.

Our reader Wang Mat is one of the affected customers as he thought he had gotten a good deal since Maxis’s 500Mbps only offered 100Mbps for upload. TM’s 500Mbps Unifi plan costs RM249/month while Maxis charges RM219/month for a similar 500Mbps broadband offering. Since both Unifi and Maxis are offering the same upload speed, Maxis would have been a more worthwhile option.

This misleading experience goes against the General Consumer Code which TM has pledged to uphold. Telcos must be transparent when it comes to telco advertising, and this means all terms, conditions and contracts must be communicated clearly to ensure consumers’ rights are protected.

No attempts to clarify until being called out

What’s baffling is that TM knew there was a glaring mistake but they didn’t try to inform the public and the media about it. After the new faster Unifi plans were introduced, various media outlets including Lowyat, TheStar and us included have reported the 200Mbps upload speed as illustrated above.

This isn’t just a minor typo in the FAQ as it was also mentioned on their product page, where consumers refer to when they make their decision. It is worth highlighting that the mistake was only corrected 8 days after the plan was introduced. This is a very long time to spot an error on their own website and I’m pretty sure they would have acted quicker if they put a low subscription fee by mistake.

Wang Mat claimed to have contacted TM’s 100 hotline several times between 24th August to 12th September but none of the representatives have informed him about the “mistake”. He only found out through a staff at TMPoint at Parit Buntar.

So what happens to existing customers?

This fiasco puts consumers on the losing end especially when fibre broadband plans are tied to a 24-month contract. We have reached out to TM to find out what options are available to consumers especially those that have subscribed to the plan before the “mistake” was officially admitted.

Consumers shouldn’t bear the burden of TM’s mistake. The very least the broadband provider could do is to allow affected 500Mbps customers to cancel without penalty or simply provide them with 200Mbps upload as initially advertised.

Why is TM being restrictive when it comes to upload speed?

In this day and age, it is surprising that TM appears to be stingy when it comes to upload speeds. Naturally, most users would perform more downloads than uploads, so it wouldn’t hurt to offer more headroom for uploads when it is required. Having faster uploads would greatly benefit cloud backups and video streaming. It would also help creators especially when it comes to uploading high definition videos.

According to TM’s current FAQ, 90% of users would utilise less than 5Mbps upload speed. If that’s the case, why not just offer higher uploads since users would hardly hit the limit anyway? At the moment, Unifi’s 500Mbps plan is already more expensive than Maxis, and TM would have a slight an advantage if they offered double upload speed for the plan.

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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has commenced investigation over consumer complaints with regards to the reduction of upload speeds for TM’s 500Mbps Unifi fibre broadband plan. As highlighted recently, TM has quietly reduced the 500Mbps plan’s upload speed by 50%.

The new 800Mbps and 500Mbps Unifi package were launched last month with 200Mbps upload speed for both plans, however, the upload speed for the 500Mbps option was changed to 100Mbps on the 2nd of September. According to TM, the 200Mbps upload speed was a “mistake” and they have updated their website, FAQ and leaflets 8 days after the plan was revealed. The change of plan offering has sparked complaints online even by customers that have subscribed before the correction was made.

The MCMC said the complaints were also reported by various news outlets as it appears that the initial offer that was published last month was misleading consumers. Based on early findings, the MCMC has found several elements that infringe the rights of consumers and the commission will not hesitate to take further action against the service provider.

The statement also mentioned that the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 that’s enforced by the MCMC strongly emphasises on the rights of customers of telecommunication services. The MCMC assures that the investigation will be done in a transparent and fair manner.

If you have an unresolved issue with your service provider, you can file a complaint to the MCMC via this portal. Consumers are advised to file a complaint to the respective telcos first. If there’s no response or the solution is not satisfactory, you can proceed to file a complaint with the MCMC.

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TM has issued a response following MCMC’s statement that they have launched investigations on the misleading Unifi upload speed fiasco. TM still emphasised that the mention of “200Mbps upload” for its 500Mbps Unifi fibre broadband plan is a mistake and they have made the necessary corrections on 2nd September. The correction was done quietly and more than a week after the plans were initially revealed.

According to the broadband provider, the correct upload speed for the 500Mbps plan is 100Mbps, and not 200Mbps as shown on their Unifi portal, FAQ and leaflet on the 24th of August 2020.

No penalty to terminate for new subscribers

For customers that are not satisfied with the situation are allowed to terminate without penalty. TM says that new customers that signed up from the 24th August are entitled for the 30-day Try Me period and may opt not to continue with them without any penalty.

On top of that, TM will be calling up customers that have signed up for the 500Mbps package since 24th August to inform them of the error and on the options available to them, starting tomorrow, 21st September 2020.

Below is TM’s statement in full:

In response to the statement made by MCMC this morning titled “MCMC Siasat Aduan Pengurangan Kelajuan Pakej unifi Berbanding Tawaran Awal”, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) would like to assure all our customers and stakeholders of our commitment to consumer rights and protection. We regret the error and have issued a clarification statement regarding the matter on Friday night. We continue to be transparent in informing our customers on this, and are tightening our processes to ensure this does not recur.

In the meantime, we will give our full cooperation to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in their investigation.

We would like to reiterate that there has been no change to the upload speed configuration for the new unifi 500Mbps package.

A correction was made to an error in the upload speed for our 500Mbps package stated in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), unifi Portal and leaflets on 2 September 2020. The correct upload speed configuration for 500Mbps is 100Mbps instead of 200Mbps stated in the earlier version of the FAQs, unifi Portal and leaflets.

We wish to update that all customers are still within the 30-day Try Me period as we just introduced the package less than one month ago on 24th August 2020. Hence, customers can opt not to continue with us without any penalty.

We will be calling the customers who had signed up for the 500Mbps package since 24 August to inform them of the error and on the options available to them, starting Monday 21 September onwards

We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and assure our customers that all of our channels, including our website and marketing materials have been updated to reflect the correct information.

For any queries please reach out to our customer service representatives at our call centre 100, TMpoints nationwide or virtual agents via myunifi app.

Thank you.

But what about existing customers?

The 30-day trial offer is only applicable for new Unifi subscribers and there’s no mention of existing Unifi customers that have switched to the new 500Mbps plan. According to the FAQ of the Try Me campaign, it is only applicable to New residential customers and this means existing customers wouldn’t be able to enjoy the penalty waiver if they wish to terminate their broadband plan.

[ UPDATE 21/9/2020 11:30 ]: TM has informed us that existing Unifi customers that have recently switched to the 500Mbps plan can revert to their original plan without penalty. More details here.

TM needs to do more to compensate for the mistake

It is easy for TM to just allow new users to leave without penalty under its 30-day trial promo. However, changing fibre broadband providers isn’t exactly a seamless experience. Those intending to terminate may probably have to take leave from work just to return the equipment at their nearest TM point.

On top of that, they would need to make a new appointment with a new broadband provider and take another day off again just for the new installation. If the customer is living in an area with limited ports, they could be at risk of having no ports available once they terminated their Unifi account. Customers may also have to endure internet downtime during the switch.

Although TM views this as a minor mistake, it is a serious issue when it comes to consumer rights. Customers have been misled into thinking that they have a good deal and now they have to endure the trouble because of the provider’s mistake. If customers do wish to terminate, it is only right for TM to help make the switch as seamless as possible without any interruption.

At the same time, MCMC has confirmed that they have found elements that infringe the rights of consumers and they will not hesitate to take further action against TM. Back in July, the MCMC has issued RM4.6 million worth of fines to telcos for not meeting standards. Among the top 5 telcos, TM was slapped the least number of compounds amounting to RM200,000. As a comparison, Celcom, Digi and Maxis were slapped with compounds amounting to more than RM1 million each.

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TM has announced yesterday that it will allow new 500Mbps Unifi subscribers to terminate their subscription without any penalty charges. The cancellation without penalty is provided for new Unifi customers under the 30-day “Try Me” campaign and it’s applicable for those that have signed up from the 24th of August 2020.

For existing Unifi customers that have recently switched to the new 500Mbps plan, TM has told us that customers will get the option to revert to their previous plan without penalty. This means if you’ve recently upgraded to 500Mbps from the 30Mbps, 100Mbps or 300Mbps plan, you can downgrade with no extra charge.

TM insists that the actual speed for Unifi 500Mbps plan is 100Mbps, and the earlier 200Mbps upload speed was a mistake. The 500Mbps plan was revealed on their website, FAQ and leaflet on the 24th of August, and the correction was only made on the 2nd of September 2020. TM says they will be contacting affected 500Mbps customers starting today to explain about the mistake and options available.

For subscribers that wish to terminate, do note that you must give TM a 30-day notice through their customer service channels. Once you have received an SMS notification, you must return the equipment at TMpoint to avoid any late charges. If you fail to return the device, there will be a penalty of RM500. You can read the full Unifi FAQ here.

On Saturday, the MCMC has revealed that it has launched an investigation on TM and they have found several elements that infringe consumer rights. MCMC assures that the investigation will be done in a transparent and fair manner, and they will not hesitate to take action against the provider.

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Digi has announced a partnership with Allo Technology Sdn Bhd, a wholly subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, to expand its fibre broadband footprint. According to Digi, the partnership will provide Malaysians with more connectivity options and allow them to bring fibre broadband services to over 3.5 million households.

With this collaboration, Digi will be tapping on Allo’s Layer 2 High Speed Broadband (HSBB) network to cover an approximately 45,000 homepasses in selected areas in Melaka, Perak and Cyberjaya. Allo is also expanding its network to cover other states and it is expected to cover more than 155,000 homepasses by Q2 2021.

Digi’s CMO Praveen Rajan said “We are excited to once again partner with Allo in our effort to provide more customers with total connectivity options, allowing them to experience high-speed home broadband services at home and on-the-go. Working with partners like Allo allows us to speed up the delivery of home broadband services especially during these times when there is a critical demand for a reliable connectivity for remote work and educational needs.”

Commenting on the partnership, Allo’s CEO Rodzi Ahmad said “We have been proactively working with our partners to support their expansions in providing connectivity to Malaysians from all geographical backgrounds, and the collaboration with Digi has proven that we are the partner that you can count on to expand your coverage nationwide at a faster and a more economical rate. Allo understands the importance of staying ahead of the global curve especially in a digitally-driven world, and together, we can grow to ensure robust, high quality and affordable digital connectivity for the well-being of the people and nation.”

Rodzi also said that Allo is an enabler for the Retails Service Providers (RSPs) to expand their offerings and services. Before Digi, Maxis has also signed an access agreement with Allo in December 2019.

Prior to this, Digi has also announced a similar collaboration with TM and Time to expand its broadband footprint. At the moment, Digi offers 100Mbps fibre broadband for RM130/month and 500Mbps at RM190/month. The yellow telco also offers 1Gbps connectivity for RM290/month. With the current Digi Internet Freedom offer, users can enjoy additional savings when they pair it with a Digi Postpaid 80 plan.

All 3 plans come with unlimited quota. The 100Mbps comes with 50Mbps upload, while the 500Mbps and 1Gbps plans come with 200Mbps upload. To learn more, you can check out Digi’s Internet Freedom page.

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The MCMC has revealed that Digi is offering JENDELA Youth packages in Sabah starting next month. This is to support the call of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to provide youths with the opportunity to learn and to spark innovation and new ideas in the digital economy era.

Digi’s JENDELA Youth Package for Sabah will be available for new registrations from the 1st to 31st October 2020 and it covers prepaid, fibre broadband, postpaid and device bundles. Below is the full list:

Digi Prepaid Next with Unlimited Calls and Data

Youths in Sabah can subscribe to Digi Prepaid Next special Internet Edition and enjoy unlimited internet and calls to all networks for RM35/month or RM12/week.

The unlimited plans are currently offered to selected customers via Digi’s Box of Surprise, but under this package, it will be offered to all Youths in Sabah in October. Do note that there’s a speed cap of 3Mbps for this unlimited plan.

Free 3 months fibre broadband

Sabahan youths can get 3 months off when they subscribe to any home fibre plan under Digi Internet Freedom. The plan starts from RM130/month for the 100Mbps plan, RM190/month for 500Mbps and RM290/month for 1Gbps. If you have a Digi postpaid, you can enjoy savings with additional monthly rebates. You can learn more here.

Rebates for Digi Postpaid 38 and 58

Youths that subscribe to Postpaid 38 or 58 plan are entitled to get RM10/month rebate for 12 months. On Digi Postpaid 38, you could get up to 28GB of data with unlimited calls for RM28/month (after rebate). Meanwhile, Digi Postpaid 58 offers up to 50GB of data and unlimited calls for RM48/month (after rebate).

Do note that the “up-to data” is inclusive of the loyalty bonuses that you accumulate every 6 months. Digi Postpaid 38 comes with 9GB of all-day data while Postpaid 58 comes with 15GB of all-day data. You can learn more about the budget Digi postpaid plans here.

Smartphone packages for Postpaid 58

Digi is also offering youths the opportunity to get a new 4G smartphone for RM68 on contract with their Postpaid 58 plan. The device bundle includes the Oppo A12 and the Vivo Y11D. Subscribers on this package will also be eligible to receive the RM10 monthly rebate.

Apart from Digi, other telcos including Celcom, Maxis, U Mobile and TM are also offering plans that are targeted at Youths but it’s the same as what they have at the moment. This includes the typical speed-capped unlimited prepaid plans and add-ons that provide extra data at affordable prices. You can read MCMC’s full statement below:

[ SOURCE, IMAGE SOURCE ]

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The MCMC has issued a final warning letter to TM over its misleading upload speed for its Unifi 500Mbps plan. It warns TM to adhere to Section 1.2 of the General Consumer Code (GCC) which requires service providers to provide information that’s sufficient, accurate, true, up-to-date and in a simple and straight-forward language.

As mentioned by the MCMC earlier, they have found several elements that infringe the rights of consumers when the upload speed of the 500Mbps Unifi fibre plan was quietly changed from 200Mbps to 100Mbps. The new plans were revealed on the 24th of August 2020 and TM insists that the 200Mbps upload speed was a “mistake“. TM has made the necessary changes to their Unifi portal, FAQ and leaftlet on the 2nd September 2020.

The commission had told TM to make necessary corrections for the 500Mbps plan on all channels and to reach out directly to affected customers. They also urge TM to conduct their business ethically by ensuring all advertising and promotional materials are accurate. TM is also reminded to ensure all of their customers enjoy quality services as advertised and to inform them of any issues that may affect their experience.

The commission will ensure that the rights of consumers affected by the misleading advertised upload speed will be handled fairly by TM. Failure to do so, will result further action under Section 242 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 which carries a penalty of not more than RM100,000 or jail sentence of not more than 2 years, or both.

The MCMC has expressed strong concerns over weak internal controls within TM which resulted the confusion of its Unifi fibre broadband plans. They hope that this incident will serve as a reminder to all service providers to ensure the importance of upholding consumer rights in their business practices.

TM has announced earlier this week that affected new Unifi 500Mbps subscribers are able to terminate without penalty under its 30-day “Try me” campaign. Meanwhile, existing Unifi customers that have recently switched to the 500Mbps plan will be allowed to revert back to their original plan with no extra charge.

[ SOURCE ]

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Digi has updated its fibre broadband offering with more options and it’s now less complicated than before. There’s now a cheaper 50Mbps home fibre broadband plan which costs less than RM100/month and a new 800Mbps option that’s priced RM20/month cheaper than the 1Gbps plan.

Below are the current Digi Internet Freedom Fibre Broadband options which are now available for subscription:

DIF 90 (50Mbps DL/20Mbps UL) – RM90/month
DIF 130 (100Mbps DL/50Mbps UL) – RM130/month
DIF 190 (500Mbps DL/100Mbps UL) – RM190/month
DIF 270 (800Mbps DL/200Mbps UL) – RM270/month
DIF 290 (1Gbps DL/200Mbps UL) – RM290/month

All plans come with unlimited quota and are tied with a 24-month contract. According to Digi, its fibre broadband service can serve 3.7 million households throughout Malaysia and this is made possible through collaborations with TM, Time and TNB’s Allo.

If you need unlimited internet on the go, customers on Digi’s 100Mbps fibre broadband plan (DIF 130 and above) and above can add-on a postpaid plan with unlimited data, unlimited calls and 300 SMS for RM60/month.

Essentially, this is the Digi Postpaid Infinite 100 plan which also comes with 20GB of hotspot data. Typically, the Infinite 100 plan comes with a speed cap of 10Mbps, but for this fibre broadband bundle, Digi has confirmed that there’s no speed cap.

On DIF 130 (100Mbps), you can get up to 2 lines while DIF 190 (500Mbps) customers can get up to 3 lines. For those on DIF 270 (800Mbps) and 290 (1Gbps), you are able to add-on a maximum of 4 lines. If you add an unlimited postpaid line, you’ll get 12-months free subscription for Viu.

If you get a 100Mbps fibre broadband plan + 1 unlimited postpaid, it will cost you RM190/month. If you get it with 2 postpaid plans, it will cost you RM250/month. Overall, it’s more affordable than Maxis as the green telco offers 100Mbps fibre broadband + Maxis Postpaid 98 (unlimited data) for RM227/month. If you need an additional postpaid line (add-on Maxis Share 48), it will cost you RM275/month in total.

For more info, check out Digi’s Fibre Broadband page.

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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has proposed for the state governments to introduce a policy that includes internet access as among requirements for basic utilities in residential areas.

Its chairman, Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek said the facility was necessary to speed up the process of transition to 5G technology and address issues on building of telecommunication towers.

He said among the challenges facing the telecommunication industry is getting permission to build telecommunication towers on private land.

“The residents want internet service, but they do not want to have the telecommunication towers in their backyard.

“One way that can speed up the process is with the state government making a policy for telecommunications to be a utility, just like electricity and water supply, “ he said in an interview during a talk show by Bernama TV, Ruang Bicara, last night.

Fadhlullah Suhaimi said MCMC had always worked with the state governments to get their views and assistance, as well as to speed up process.

“Many are open-minded and are helping the industry, (with) some states have implementing several policies that really help the industry,” he added.

On Aug 29 this year, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the government is developing a digital infrastructure plan known as the National Digital Network (JENDELA) in an effort to improve the country’s digital communications under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021–2025).

The plan would be a platform for the provision of comprehensive and high quality broadband service coverage, as well as prepare the country for the transition to 5G technology. — Bernama via Malay Mail

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Digi is now offering fibre broadband plans for business. It claims to offer a comprehensive connectivity solution at the lowest market prices for SMEs. The Digi Business Fibre plans are priced from RM130/month with speed options of up to 800Mbps.

Digi Business Fibre plans

The base Digi Business Fibre 100Mbps plan costs RM130/month while the 300Mbps option is priced at RM188/month. If you need even faster speeds, the 500Mbps Business Fibre plan costs RM248/month while the highest 800Mbps plan is going for RM318/month.

All plans come with unlimited quota and the upload speed is similar to what you get from Unifi and Maxis. The 100Mbps and 300Mbps plans get 50Mbps upload while the 500Mbps option gets 100Mbps upload. The highest 800Mbps plan is configured with 200Mbps upload.

Overall, Digi’s Business Fibre offering is cheaper than TM and Maxis. As a comparison, both Unifi and Maxis offer 100Mbps at RM139/month, while the highest 800Mbps plan is offered for RM349/month.

Apart from the internet connection, Digi’s Business Fibre 300Mbps plans and above are bundled with one fixed VOIP landline that comes with Digi Cloud PABX. However, there’s no mention of a Mesh WiFi solution on Digi’s website that’s currently offered by Unifi and Maxis for plans at 300Mbps and above.

Add-on postpaid with unlimited data

In addition, you can also add a Go Digi postpaid line with unlimited data for RM78/month for the first line and RM48/month for the subsequent lines. Subscribers on the 100Mbps plan can sign up for up to 5x Go Digi lines, while the 300Mbps and 500Mbps options let you get up to 10x Go Digi lines. Larger businesses can add up to 15x Go Digi lines on the 800Mbps plan.

For more info, visit Digi Fibre Business page. As usual, all plans come with 24-months contract.

If you’re looking for Digi’s home fibre broadband plans, it starts from RM90/month for the base 50Mbps option and they offer 1Gbps for RM290/month. Consumers can also add on an unlimited postpaid plan at RM60/month per line.

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Allo Technology Sdn Bhd (Allo), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), aims to provide fibre optic connectivity to 150,000 suburban homes by June 2021. The broadband infrastructure provider currently covers Melaka and Perak, and they are expanding to more states in Peninsular Malaysia including Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.

According to TNB, Allo has formed partnerships with various telcos to provide connectivity to the masses in line with the government’s JENDELA plan. Apart from offering broadband services under its own City Broadband company, Allo also acts as an enabler for Retail Service Providers which include Astro, Digi and Maxis to expand their respective fibre footprint via TNB’s infrastructure.

NST has also reported recently that Allo is finalising its access agreements with Celcom and TM. According to Allo CEO Rodzi Ahmad, TNB has 18,000km of fibre optic infrastructure nationwide. He added that Allo has fiberised 20,000 premises in Cyberjaya including homes, offices and data centres with 400km of fibre optic cables.

The company has also provided fibre access to 17,000 homepasses in Jasin, Alor Gajah, Malim Jaya and Ayer Keroh in Melaka and 9,800 homepasses in Menglembu Perak.

Rodzi also shared that a couple of projects are in the pipeline which will enable them to provide services to 41,000 homes in Perak by the end of this year and 26,800 homes in Kedah by early 2021. The company will also embark on a large scale deployment to 40,300 homes in Johor which will be ready by Q2 2021. In addition, they also aim to extend its broadband services to suburban areas in Negeri Sembilan and Selangor.

TNB’s venture in the fibre broadband business started after completing its pilot project in Jasin, Melaka under the National Fiberisation Connectivity Plan (NFCP) in January 2019. With its open access concept, Jasin residents enjoy a variety of broadband options from 8 different retail service providers that offer fibre broadband speeds of up to 1Gbps for less than RM200.

[ SOURCE 2, IMAGE SOURCE ]

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If you’re an existing Celcom Postpaid customer, the blue telco is now offering a special offer for its Celcom Home Fibre broadband plan. Currently offered at RM120/month, eligible customers can subscribe to the 100Mbps Home Fibre plan for only RM99/month.

According to a Celcom Bluecube outlet, the promotion is offered for a limited time until the 31st December 2020. To be eligible, you’ll need to be an active Celcom Mega or other Celcom Mobile postpaid subscriber (at least RM80/month) with a minimum tenure of 6 months.

Those who are currently on the RM80/month 30Mbps Home Fibre plan can request to upgrade to this plan if they are an eligible Celcom postpaid customer. As usual, the plan is tied to a 24-month contract and it comes with unlimited quota. The home fibre promo also comes with no activation or installation fee.

A free dual-band wireless router is included and do note that the 100Mbps fibre plan comes with 50Mbps upload speed. Customers can make voice calls which are charged at 10 sen per minute to all domestic networks. The RM99 promo is tied to the postpaid plan and the fee will revert to RM120/month if you decide to terminate your mobile line.

For more info or if you’re interested to subscribe, you can visit your nearest Celcom Bluecube outlet.

[ SOURCE ]

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Celcom’s home fibre broadband is now available with 300Mbps and 500Mbps options. An introductory promo, Celcom offers RM21 rebate for the first 3 months.

The 300Mbps plan which comes with 50Mbps upload is priced at RM140/month while the 500Mbps option with 100Mbps upload is going for RM200/month. With the RM21/month rebate, you’ll be paying RM119/month (300Mbps) and RM179/month (500Mbps) respectively for the first 3 months.

The plans come with unlimited quota and are tied to a 24-month contract. There’s no option for a Mesh WiFi router but Celcom is offering what appears to be a TP-Link AX unit. Celcom simply calls it an AX router which is likely to be WiFi 6 supported.

[ UPDATE 26/11/2020 ]: Celcom has confirmed that they are bundling the TP-Link AX10 which supports WiFi 6.

It is worth noting that Celcom also offer 1Gbps Home Fibre broadband for RM229 but it is only available in Sabah. For more info, visit Celcom’s Home Fibre Broadband page.

In case you missed it, eligible Celcom postpaid subscribers can sign up for the 100Mbps fibre broadband plan for only RM99/month. The promo is only available Celcom Bluecube outlets.

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If you want to get broadband with an Astro Pay TV bundle, Maxis is finally offering Astro as an add-on when you subscribe to its home fibre broadband plans. Previously, you can only subscribe to the broadband and TV bundle via Astro. On top of that, if you get their 100Mbps option, Maxis is offering free 3x speed bump to 300Mbps.

At the moment, Maxis Home Fibre plans start from 30Mbps at RM89/month and it goes all the way up to 800Mbps for RM299/month. If you subscribe the 300Mbps plan and above, you’ll get RM20/month rebate for 24-months. This is how Maxis could offer a triple-speed upgrade from 100Mbps since the monthly fee difference to 300Mbps is just RM20.

For the Astro add-on, it starts from RM61.32/month for the Starter Pack, RM80/month for the Value Pack and RM115/month for the Super Lite Pack. If you don’t have a TV, you can add-on a 65″ Samsung 4K TV for only RM1/month on contract.

The Starter Pack is the most affordable option where you can get either Malay, Chinese or Tamil base pack. Meanwhile, the Value Pack allows you to pick one of 4 options for the base pack including English, and it also comes with the Premier League package and one Mini Pack.

Despite the “Super Lite Pack” name, this is the highest option which provides additional access to all sports channel and the option to choose up to 2 (English) mini packs.

The standard Astro HD decoder has an installation fee of RM99 while the newer 4K Ultra Box will cost you RM199. If you go for the Super Lite Pack, the Ultra Box is offered with RM0 installation fee.

In total, you can get a 100Mbps (upgraded to 300Mbps) fibre broadband, with an Astro Stater Pack and a 65″ Samsung 4K TV for RM191.32/month. If you need to watch football, the same configuration with the Astro Value Pack can be yours for RM210/month.

Do note that there’s a 24-month contract for both Astro and Maxis Fibre broadband. If you’re an existing Maxis postpaid customer, you can enjoy unlimited quota on all lines including the supplementary share lines when you subscribe to their fibre broadband plan.

Unlike what was offered previously, Maxis no longer offers unlimited phone calls for its 100Mbps plan and above. Voice calls will be charged at 9 sen per minute for local calls including mobile and if you need unlimited, it will cost you RM10 per month.

According to the FAQ, the RM20/month rebate is only applicable to the first 24 months. You may upgrade your Astro subscription but downgrade is not allowed during the contract period. If you do terminate your Astro TV early, there’s a penalty of (RM1000 / 24 months) multiplied by the remaining months.

For more info, you can visit the Maxis Home Fibre broadband page.

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Broadband connectivity has become more important during the current pandemic as most Malaysians will have to go online for work and online classes. Unfortunately, basic mobile connectivity is still lacking in rural areas of Malaysia. You probably have heard stories about students climbing trees and some even endangering their own lives just to get good mobile connectivity.

While Malaysia has pulled the handbrake on 5G rollout and to shift its focus on strengthening its existing 4G networks, it will still take a long time to upgrade connectivity in underserved areas. However, there’s actually a solution to deploy fast broadband anywhere in Malaysia and it can be ready in just a matter of days.

Satellite broadband provider ConnectMe currently has a prepaid solution called ConnectMe Now, which is Malaysia’s first Prepaid WiFi service that’s powered by satellite. It offers 100% nationwide coverage via MEASAT’s satellite broadband system. Unlike the typical postpaid satellite broadband offering, there’s no hefty upfront payment required and users will only need to pay for what they need since this is a prepaid offering.

According to ConnectMe, the prepaid service can be deployed in just a couple of days and they are targeting rural communities that have no 3G or 4G coverage with a population of about 100 people. We are told that the ConnectMe Now service has been deployed at Orang Asli settlements in West Malaysia as well as interior villages in both Sabah and Sarawak.

What’s interesting is that the WiFi service can even work in areas without a reliable power source. In such locations, they can deploy a solar-powered solution with battery supply to power up the router and WiFi access points 24/7.

The satellite-powered WiFi hotspot can cover an area of 100 metres with its 2x Omni WiFi outdoor antennas. The WiFi coverage can be extended if required.

Apart from providing connectivity, there’s also an ecosystem around it. The landowner can be incentivised for hosting and providing power supply for the equipment, while a local dealer can earn additional income for selling the prepaid vouchers.

We are told that there are 2 prepaid options – 1GB data for RM10 which is valid for 30 days and 5GB data for RM40 which is valid for 60 days. Although it costs more than a typical mobile prepaid plan, it is still cost effective considering that it can be deployed quickly and there’s no upfront cost for the community. This serves as a practical interim solution to provide high-speed access to underserved Malaysians.

As a comparison, the normal ConnectMe plan costs RM198/month for 60GB of quota and the installation fee can be as high as RM1,200 in East Malaysia. They used to offer unlimited quota for RM138/month but the plan has been discontinued.

ConnectMe has distributors not only in West Malaysia but also in Sabah and Sarawak. At the moment, they have covered more than 900 sites nationwide. For those who are living in areas with a population of 100 people without 4G access may contact ConnectMe’s distributors to get started.

ConnectMe to offer up to 100Mbps in 2021

At the moment, ConnectMe provides download speeds of up to 30Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5Mbps. In 2021, the service will be able to provide even faster broadband speeds with the launch of MEASAT-3d.

The new satellite based on Airbus’ Eurostar E3000 has a High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity of 30 Gbps. It can provide download speeds of up to 100Mbps via Ka-band which can further narrow the digital divide between urban and rural areas.

Of course, the drawback is that latency is definitely higher than mobile connectivity. Since the signal takes quarter of a second from earth to satellite, the ping is more than 500ms but it’s more than good enough for video streaming and web browsing. The weather can also affect the quality of service but as demonstrated by ConnectMe, it can still get close to 20Mbps even when it’s raining.

Recently, the MCMC has announced that Sabah state-backed firm, Common Tower Technologies Sdn Bhd (CTT) will provide VSAT connectivity for Kampung Gusi in Sabah as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. ConnectMe has confirmed that they have been appointed by CTT to deploy its satellite broadband service for the village.

For more info, you can check out ConnectMe Now on their official website.

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Time has announced its OmniMesh offering for its home fibre broadband plans which promises to deliver strong and stable WiFi connection throughout your entire home. Instead of offering Mesh nodes as an add-on to an existing router, Time now bundles routers with built-in Mesh WiFi. According to the broadband provider, this OmniMesh approach maximise WiFi coverage with fewer devices required.

For the 100Mbps and 500Mbps plan, Time is offering the Huawei HG8145 router, while 1Gbps customers will get the TP-Link EC440. Both are Mesh enabled and must be paired with the respective supported Mesh WiFi nodes.

According to Time, the setup will solve common WiFi woes at home as the solution uses the latest Smart WiFi technology. It added that it has improved its ability to diagnose and troubleshoot WiFi issues more quickly with the deployment of its Network Cloud Engine (NCE) management and analysis software on its network.

To recap, Time currently offers 100Mbps for RM99/month, 500Mbps for RM139/month and 1Gbps for RM199/month on a 24-month contract. Both 100Mbps and 500Mbps options get the same upload speed as downloads, while the 1Gbps plans has an asymmetrical upload speed of 500Mbps.

Do note that you don’t really get a Mesh setup upon subscription as you’re only getting a Mesh-ready WiFi router. You’ll need to get additional nodes to expand your WiFi coverage depending on the size of your home. For a limited time, 1Gbps customers can get a free OmniMesh Enhanced Starter Pack that comes with 1x TP-Link HC420 Mesh node worth RM199.

If you’re subscribing to the 100Mbps or 500Mbps plan, you’ll have to add-on the Huawei WA8021V5 Mesh node that’s compatible with the HG8145 router. 1x node costs RM169, 2x nodes costs RM338 while 3x nodes costs RM507.

For users that get the TP-Link EC440 router on the 1Gbps plan, 2x TP-Link HC420 nodes will cost you RM199 while 3x nodes is going for RM398. These are the promo prices during the free 1x node promo for 1Gbps customers. You can learn more about their Mesh WiFi nodes here.

For more info, check out Time’s OmniMesh page.

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BigPay has finally introduced a new bill payment feature which allows users to pay bills from over 20 billers ranging from telcos, energy providers and water utility companies. The feature is now available on the official BigPay app and they have added extra features to better manage your finances.

At the time of writing, the app currently supports 10 different water utility companies but for telcos, it only supports Celcom, Redone, U Mobile and Yes for now. For electricity, TNB isn’t available just yet as it only supports Nur Power Distribution, Sabah Electricity and Sarawak Energy.

In addition, the app also accepts payments for Astro and Courts Mammoth. The biller list is still quite limited and we hope BigPay would support more billers including TNB, Maxis, Time and Telekom Malaysia.

To pay a bill, just go to BigPay app’s Payment section and select Bills. Then select the biller and enter the required details along with the payment amount. To ensure that you won’t miss another bill, the app has a remind me feature which notifies you on a specific date of the month. You also get the option to save the billing info for future transactions. An OTP is also required to confirm the transaction.

Split bills with your housemates or family members

Similar to what’s currently offered for other BigPay transactions, you are also able to split bills easily from the app itself. This is useful when it comes to splitting electricity, water and broadband bills with other housemates.

In addition, you can also earn Big points with every RM20 spent on utility bills with the BigPay app. For more info, you can check out BigPay’s blog post.

[ SOURCE ]

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Penang state exco Zairil Khir Johari has announced that the state government has declared fibre optic infrastructure as a basic utility in all new buildings and developments throughout the state. The decision was made inline with the state’s Penang 2030 vision.

Under the Penang Connectivity Master Plan (PCMP), installation of fixed telecommunications infrastructure is made mandatory under the By-Laws 25 and 27 of the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 at the local council level. This makes Penang the first state in Malaysia to require developers to treat fibre optic infrastructure as a basic utility similar to electricity and water supply.

The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia has expressed gratitude to the state for prioritising telecommunications infrastructure in its policy. The move by the state government will ensure local authorities can better plan new developments which will make it more competitive in attracting new investments due its readiness in communications infrastructure.

Zairil explained that high-speed broadband access via fibre optic is made mandatory as the usage of copper wires is no longer relevant. Not only it will enable gigabit speeds as part of its ambition to be the first Gigabit state in Malaysia, the fibre infrastructure will also speed up the deployment of 5G when it is available.

The Ministry has also welcomed steps taken by the Johor, Kedah and Melaka state governments to introduce similar policies. It said the MCMC and industry players will cooperate with the respective state governments to ensure that internet is declared a third utility in 2021. It added that the move will provide a positive impact such as increased investments from telecommunications company as well as triggering a spill-over effect to the development of an area or state.

If internet is not treated a basic utility, broadband infrastructure is often treated as an afterthought. Most current homeowners can move in to their new homes with direct access electricity and water, but some might need to wait for years before fibre is expanded to their area. Getting approvals from local authorities remain one of the biggest challenges faced by telcos as they would need to dig roads to lay fibre optic cables or to build telco towers on private land.

With the move to declare internet as a basic utility, new residents will soon enjoy high-speed fibre internet in all new housing developments from day 1. This would also speed up the approval process by telcos from the respective local authorities.

[ SOURCE 2 3, IMAGE SOURCE ]

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MEASAT Global Berhad (MEASAT) which runs ConnectMe satellite broadband service has reached its 1,000 sites milestone with its deployment at Data Kakus in Sarawak. The satellite broadband provider focuses on providing communication and internet access to underserved rural communities where 4G coverage and fibre connectivity are not available.

With the ConnectMe Now service which was launched in 2019, rural communities can get quicker access to high-speed broadband with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology. Unlike its normal satellite broadband offering, ConnectMe Now requires no upfront investment as the service is offered as a prepaid model. Communities are only required to pay for what they use with prepaid vouchers.

Peter Dano Amit, the head of the long house at Data Kakus said, “The satellite-based broadband services by MEASAT is an ideal and practical solution in providing connectivity to communities in these areas where infrastructure is a main challenge. In rural areas such as Data Kakus, it would take phenomenal efforts to fix terrestrial communication infrastructures as the massive pieces of equipment to set up the site need to be brought over the difficult terrain areas in off-road vehicles. It would be a strenuous journey and will take a much longer time to connect the cables and fix the connecting internet fibres underground.”

The ConnectMe Now service can be deployed in areas with a population of about 100 people that have no access to 4G coverage. A site can be up and running in just a matter of days and users can get connected through the WiFi access points that operate 24/7. For areas without a reliable power source, ConnectMe Now can be deployed with a solar-powered solution that comes with its own battery supply. The passes are priced at 1GB data for RM10 that’s valid for 30 days and 5GB data for RM40 that’s valid for 60 days.

According to MEASAT, ConnectMe Now has helped connect the unconnected Rakyat with over 100,000 connections nationwide in areas outside of 4G or terrestrial coverage. At the moment, its satellite broadband service can provide download speeds up to 30Mbps. With the upcoming launch of MEASAT-3d satellite, the service will be able to provide faster speeds of up to 100Mbps and it can help to support Malaysia’s 4G and 5G networks to deliver 100% coverage.

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ViewQwest has kicked off 2021 by acquiring two fibre broadband players – Macro Lynx Sdn Bhd and iHalo. The acquisition will expand its fibre broadband footprint to cover 120 residential, business and commercial sites nationwide which represents approximately 30,000 homepass under ViewQwest’s coverage.

ViewQwest will be able to expand its services at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Jaya 33, G-Tower and Mid Valley City. Outside the Klang Valley, the broadband player will also expand its availability in Pasir Gudang in Johor, Cheras in Selangor and Ipoh in Perak. The integration of customers and operations onto ViewQwest network is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2021.

ViewQwest CEO Mr Vignesa Moorthy said “With the acquisition of Macro Lynx, along with iHalo’s residential operations, ViewQwest is set to serve customers in more locales than ever, including the north of Peninsular Malaysia with our entry into Ipoh. Through the economically challenging past year across the globe and the region, ViewQwest has remained steadfast in its expansion to serve more customers, especially during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, when many people are still practising working from home (WFH).”

He added “Our robust network is designed to offer faster connectivity and a stable connection for students to access e-learning platforms from home. At the same time, customers can enjoy unrivalled connectivity to entertainment content and leisure sites on the internet. We will be continuously working to integrate and upgrade our network infrastructure, our technical and business operations, our customer fulfilment and support services, and our portfolio of products and services.”

At the moment, ViewQwest is offering fibre broadband plans ranging from 100Mbps to 1Gbps with contract options up to 36 months. Its top of the line 1Gbps plan with Mesh WiFi is currently going for as low as RM188/month with a 36-month contract, while its entry-level 100Mbps plan (non-Mesh) is priced from as low as RM88/month.

Unlike most broadband providers, the Singapore-based provider offers symmetrical speeds for both download and upload. Even it’s 1Gbps option offers an upload speed of 1Gbps. As a limited time promo, ViewQwest is offering RM40 off for up to 18 months, depending on the contract duration.

For areas outside of ViewQwest network, their broadband services are also available via TM’s HSBB network. The broadband pricing and offering is different and they offer up to 500Mbps with asymmetrical speeds.

On a 36-month contract, the 500Mbps plan is going for RM238/month, while the base 100Mbps option is going for RM128/month. A shorter 24-month contract option is also available and it costs an extra RM10/month.

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