Barely a month after the trial for the box began, Astro today announced that the new Astro Ultra Plug & Play Box is now available to users. In general, the box is the same as per Astro Ultra Box that was launched back in November 2019.
The difference is mainly in terms of delivery as the Ultra Plug & Play Box focused on self-installation, in addition to having all the contents being delivered purely through the Internet which would solve the rain fade issue that has plagued Astro customers for years. That being said, customers can still opt to have technicians install the box at their home although naturally, there will be an additional fee to this.
The Commercial Director of Astro, Azlin Arshad said that the company aims to deliver the box and Astro SIM card to customers within a 72 hours timeframe. In fact, those in Klang Valley may be able to receive it the day after their subscription is confirmed but of course, the actual delivery time is still subjected to the ongoing implementation of the National Recovery Plan (PPN).
While waiting for the Ultra Plug & Play Box to arrive, customers will be immediately given access to Astro GO which mirrored the procedure that was implemented during the trial programme. Azlin said that the box and the Astro SIM card will be sent separately to customers as a security measure although each SIM card is paired to a specific Ultra Plug & Play Box.
In terms of the installation process, Azlin pointed out that it is rather simple and will take between 15 to 20 minutes to be completed. The FAQ section for the box on Astro’s website has also noted that customers should install and activate both their Astro Ultra Plug & Play Box and the SIM card within seven days or they would be self-activated by the company on the eighth day.
Customers will not be charged any installation fee for the Astro Ultra Plug & Play Box but are still subjected to an activation fee. This particular fee which would be included in their first bill ranges from being completely free or up to RM 99, depending on the amount that customers pay for their Astro subscription:
The FAQ section also said that one must have at least 30Mbps to access 4K UHD contents on the Ultra Plug & Play Box although HD contents can still be enjoyed with a minimum speed of 10Mbps. When it comes to package subscriptions, there are no differences between Ultra Plug & Play Box and other existing Astro boxes.
On a related note, during the press briefing earlier today, we have pointed out to the company that the Ultra Plug & Play Box is not being made available for the Starter Pack according to its website. Currently priced at RM 49.06 per month, it is Astro’s most affordable plan for the time being.
Despite that, Azlin said that customers who are interested to pair the Starter Pack with the Ultra Plug & Play Box can request it through the company’s customer service team via WhatsApp. So, take note of this if you are planning to obtain that particular combo.
As mentioned earlier, the Ultra Plug & Play Box revolves around self-installation. Hence, you can obtain it by choosing the Plug & Play option when you sign up for Astro services through its official website right here although the box is currently limited to Peninsular Malaysia at the moment.
