Penangites will be glad to know that the state’s free WiFi service is getting a boost. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that Penang Free WiFi provider REDtone Communications will be increasing the the bandwidth to allow for speeds between 512kps and 1Mbps.
The upgrades will increase backhaul bandwidth by some 500-percent, taking it from the current 75Mbps to 375Mbps. REDtone president and chief business officer Shaifubahrim Saleh said the increased bandwidth and speed will enable users to download videos and images. This upgrade is also intended to reduce problems users face when trying to log into the network due to traffic limitations.
Some 20,000 people user the Penang Free WiFi service each day, with a total of 600,000 registered users. The project was originally implemented in 2009 as part of the state’s Wireless@Penang initiative, and has been used to boost internet usage within the state.
Lim said the state government will now be paying RM1.85 million a year or RM154,200 a month to REDtone for the free wifi; an increase from the previous cost of RM129,200 a month. He said the cost for the upgrade only increased by 19.3-percent, making it a “very good deal” for the state.
[Source: The Malaysian Insider]
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