MEASAT’s satellite-based broadband service provider, CONNECTme, has announced the discontinuation of its CONNECTme@HOME plan – five years after its introduction. Effective immediately, the company will no longer accept any new subscriptions for the service, as it is now focusing its efforts to provide connectivity to rural communities instead.
For the uninitiated, the service provider launched CONNECTme@HOME back in March 2018. Unlike the rural area-focused CONNECTmeNOW service, this particular subscription aims to provide satellite-based internet connectivity to any home throughout Malaysia. However, it is also considerably expensive; requiring customers to commit to very hefty startup, installation and monthly fees.
Prior to its discontinuation, CONNECTme@HOME offered three subscription plans that offered up to 25 Mbps of internet speed to users. Based on a snapshot via WaybackMachine dated 23 July 2021, these included the Super plan which offers 60 GB of data at RM 198 per month, and the Supreme plan with 100 GB at RM 298 per month. There’s also an Ultimate plan that offers unlimited data, but was inaccessible due to unspecified reasons.
Regardless of which, subscriptions will require one month deposit and one month advance payment, as well as a standard installation fee of RM 700 in West Malaysia or RM 1200 in East Malaysia. As of the announcement, all three options are no longer accessible via the CONNECTme@HOME website.
The provider’s CONNECTmeNOW service, on the other hand, is still going strong and continues to provide connectivity to rural areas that lack 4G or fibre coverage. CONNECTme promises to accommodate these locations with fast setups, flexible usage with no service contract, fixed monthly fees or installation charge, as well as 100% coverage with up to 30 Mbps satellite-based internet access. With the launch of the new MEASAT-3d satellite last year, CONNECTme is now capable of providing broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps, thanks to its onboard Ka-band payload.
Rural communities can submit a request for CONNECTmeNOW by contacting the internet service provider directly via the service’s official website, or through its several authorised distributors nationwide.
(Source: CONNECTme [official website])
