The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has come forth with an explanation for recent comments from Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak about the state of the internet. Apparently, Malaysians choose slower internet speeds because there is a lack of compelling content on the internet.
Salleh had earlier said that Malaysians prefer slower internet speeds because it is the cheaper option, although it appears that the MCMC also thinks that local settle for less because there is nothing to do on the internet.
“The lack of compelling content and online applications may be a contributing factor. It is therefore also equally important to ensure widespread availability of digital services in various areas such as education, health and online payment platforms to drive demand for high speed broadband.
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“With more demand, service providers will have commercial reasons to improve their infrastructure and lower their prices,” said the MCMC.
Despite this, the MCMC also said that it is working with ISPs to reduce the cost of highspeed broadband. Malaysia’s fixed broadband price as a percentage of Gross National Income stood at 2.42-percent in 2014, which is well within the 5-percent margin set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for affordable broadband. It should be noted that the ITU does not have a set definition for what qualifies as broadband and leaves that to local governments.
[Source: The Star]
