Lately, several major telcos have started charging have started charging its customers additional fees in order to access 5G or have them switch to a more expensive plan entirely. The chief executive officer of YTL Communications, Wing K. Lee, is against this practice that’s becoming more common in the industry, saying that subscribers should not have to pay more for a better internet experience.
The Yes CEO stated that 5G services should be available to all Malaysians to accelerate the adoption of the faster network in the country. “We believe that 5G is a level playing field for all Malaysians, it should not be a penalty (for subscribers) and (telcos) should not charge people extra just for them to be able to use better internet service,” Lee said in a press conference announcing the telco as Apple’s latest partner.
He said the reason Yes offers competitive 5G prices is because of a fundamental belief that “the internet is a basic right for all”, adding that “it’s not about just being the first to launch new technologies, but making sure that every Malaysian will be able to afford 5G and equipping them with the necessary tools to access 5G networks.” Currently, the carrier offers five 5G plans with the most basic plan costing RM35/month for 100GB of data, while the rest are unlimited plans.
CelcomDigi charges an extra RM10/month for 5G access for those subscribed to plans that cost less than RM90, while it costs between RM5 to RM10 for Maxis users who are on 4G-only plans. Last month, communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil said there would soon be an update regarding the government’s request for telcos to waive 5G fees, with him revealing last week that they are in the final discussions of a solution.
(Source: The Edge)
