Last month, we covered a news about Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index report which compiles mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds from around the world monthly, as of January 2023, the average broadband internet speed in Malaysia is 92.69 Mbps while the average mobile internet speed is 43.67 Mbps. This places Malaysia at 36th for broadband internet and 48th for mobile internet.
Malaysia has one of the fastest internet speeds in Southeast Asia, and even if it is not the fastest in the world, it is slightly faster than the world’s average speed.
According to an article by Malay Mail, the Communications and Digital Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, stated that the government will continue in its endeavours to broaden coverage and enhance internet speed across the country.
He mentioned that presently, merely 3% of the populated regions in the nation lack internet access. To combat this issue, the government has taken several measures, such as boosting the capacity of the telecommunications network and infrastructure and constructing new telecommunication towers.
Additionally, the government is placing emphasis on developing and enhancing digital amenities in remote and rural areas to ensure that technology and internet access are available equally throughout the country. He also stated that the ministry’s primary concern is to address the digital divide that currently exists.
Other than improving the internet speeds, last week, Fahmi said that with the implementation of the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP) in Malaysia, broadband service prices have been lowered compared to the previous MSAP.
The new MSAP, effective from 1 March, sets maximum access prices for 14 facilities and services until 2025. With this, internet services can be offered at a lower and more competitive price or at a higher speed.