For Budget 2023, it will be important for the Government to continue funding initiatives aimed at closing the broadband gap between rural and urban areas, especially in remote locations nationwide, such as Orang Asli villages in Peninsular Malaysia and the longhouses and villages in East Malaysia, to accelerate the formation of a digitally-inclusive society.
Today, internet access is a basic necessity, on par with clean water and electricity. Government initiatives like the MyDigital blueprint and the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) plan, that target to achieve 100% internet coverage in populated areas and increase mobile broadband speed to 100 Mbps by the end of 2025, require the utmost attention to ensure that any members of the population who are unconnected will finally be able to access the socioeconomic benefits of the internet. Likewise, internet connectivity has been identified as a key growth enabler in the 12th Malaysia Plan, in order to enable IR4.0 technology and the digital economy.
We are heartened to see the JENDELA programme bringing forward plans to leverage satellite connectivity to improve mobile coverage in remote areas, to address connectivity challenges in rural and remote areas. As Malaysia’s leading satellite operator, MEASAT remains ready to support national goals with our satellite fleet, by expanding high-speed satellite broadband coverage in the unserved and underserved rural areas, through our CONNECTme NOW service. Our newly launched MEASAT-3d satellite has been operational since August 2022, and villages across the nation with the CONNECTme NOW service are already beginning to enjoy access to higher broadband speeds than before. We hope to see more Malaysians in remote locations enjoying similar high-speed broadband services in the very near future.
Budget 2023 Wish List
By Yau Chyong Lim, Chief Operating Officer of MEASAT
