[UPDATE: 12:10pm – 22.1.2024] Users are reporting that CelcomDigi’s lower-tier postpaid plans such as the Digi Postpaid 40 plan are still charging users for 5G access. Responding to a query by our writer Ikmal Rozlan, Digi Support clarified that the aforementioned subscription as well as “remaining legacy plans” are specifically allocated for 4G usage and will require the purchase of boosters in order to access 5G connectivity. They also noted that free 5G is only for the telco’s unified plans.
Following this, we also reached out to the telco’s customer service hotline to inquire regarding plans offered under its Xpax brand. And as with Digi, a representative confirmed that subscriptions such as Xpax Postpaid 60 will still require the booster for 5G access.
[Original story: 11:24am – 22.1.2024]
It appears that CelcomDigi has recently updated all postpaid and prepaid offerings under its Digi, Xpax and MEGA sub-brands, removing mentions of 5G connectivity upgrades through “booster” add-ons on its website. This is done in response to a new mandate issued by the communications ministry, which requires all local service providers to abolish extra fees for 5G access. The move itself arrived quite late, about two weeks after Fahmi Fadzil’s announcement regarding the matter, causing displeasure amongst the telco’s existing users.
As of our recent visit to CelcomDigi’s Digi, Xpax and MEGA postpaid and prepaid listings on their respective websites, we’ve discovered that mentions of “5G Boosters” have been completely removed. By right, this should mean that 5G access is now available to the service provider’s existing users by default, without needing to purchase any add-ons.
Prior to this, subscribers were required to purchase boosters that are sold separately, costing around RM10 to RM20 depending on plan. The need for add-ons to enable 5G access baffled comms minister Fahmi Fadzil, noting that no such requirements existed when 3G services were updated to 4G years prior. Additionally, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) also encouraged the public to submit any complaints concerning additional 5G charges by local service providers.
Meanwhile, CelcomDigi’s unified plans have been offering 5G access to subscribers without any additional charge ever since their introduction back in December of last year. However, these are available separately, meaning that existing users under Digi and Celcom Xpax/MEGA will have to shift to the new plans in order to enjoy the benefits.
(Source: CelcomDigi [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] / WaybackMachine [1] [2])
