KUALA LUMPUR: The Communications and Digital Ministry will hold meetings with local mobile network operators (MNOs) in the near future to discuss the reported additional charges being imposed by telcos on 5G subscriptions, according to Minister Fahmi Fadzil. He clarified, however, that not all MNOs are levying these charges. “Not all of them charge extra (on 5G subscriptions), I know YTL does not,” he stated. “I will be meeting with the chief executive officers soon… on this issue. We understand there might be some (integration issues) but we hope they can address these concerns,” he told the press at the Islamic Digital Economy Industry Conference 2023, which took place in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (Aug 22).
Fahmi also shared a humorous anecdote involving his wife’s concerns about the charges for switching to 5G from 4G. “My wife is hesitant about taking up 5G because she says when we converted from 3G to 4G, there were no charges, but now she asks, ‘Why do we have to pay?'” he mentioned. “It is a valid question, so I have to find an appropriate answer,” he added.
Reports have surfaced regarding certain telcos in Malaysia that have introduced additional charges for their customers to access and maintain their subscription to the 5G network. Fahmi mentioned that telcos are expected to unveil affordable or Rahmah 5G packages on August 31. “I have yet to meet the CEOs, but we have been very focused on finalizing both the 5G access agreement and equity participation in Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB),” Fahmi explained. “Going forward, these are some of the discussions we intend to have. The MNOs are expected to announce their respective Rahmah 5G packages on National Day, so by that time, we hope some of these things will be addressed,” he further added.
In May, the government made a policy decision to adopt a dual network model to replace the single wholesale network once 5G coverage in populated areas reaches 80%. Currently, the country has achieved 66.8% coverage in terms of the 5G network, and Fahmi expressed the government’s hope of reaching the 80% target by the end of the year. He informed that under the new model, half of the telcos in the country will be served under DNB, while the other half will depend on services provided by a yet-to-be-announced platform.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
