Cheaper Broadband

Charges for basic broadband packages for mobile and fixed services are expected to be reduced by between 10 and 57 per cent in the next two months. This is to make broadband more affordable as Malaysia moves ahead to become a digital nation.

PUTRAJAYA : Consumers will enjoy cheaper basic broadband packages for mobile and fixed services with a reduction of between 10 to 57 per cent in the next two months.

Communication and Multimedia Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek announced this yesterday, saying that mobile packages would be offered at RM25 for consumers who subscribed to a monthly data cap of 1GB and 3G-HSPAfor both prepaid and postpaid services.

For fixed services, Telekom Malaysia (TM) will be offering basic broadband at RM38 a month for 1Mbps of free data usage up to 1GB. This is 57 per cent lower than the current price of RM88. TIME dotCom Berhad (TIME) will be offering a similar RM38 package for fixed broadband. Discussions with telecommunications companies on the proposal for the reduction was held in February to make broadband access available to more people.

The new mobile basic broadband packages will be available in a month’s time while the fixed package by TM is expected to be available from mid-June, as it needs some adjustment period, “he said, adding that the relevant telecommunications companies would need time to upgrade their systems and software, and make changes to the billing process. Shabery said this effort was part of making broadband more affordable for both mobile and fixed users as Malaysia moved towards a digital nations. With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) being implemented on communications services, including prepaid reloads, the reductions will cushion the impact of the new tax policy.

However, in making broadband more affordable, the quality of service is critical. We can’t have cheaper services with low speed, so there should be consistent and sufficient investment, like having more towers and more fibre-optic installations,” He said infrastructure investment was needed to ensure the quality of services. “The global average for capital intensity is almost 16 per cent. Last year, the industry achieved just over 14 per cent of capital intensity, which is encouraging, and they have been very positive about investing more.”

TM Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said the new charges were in line with the group’s aspirations to deliver and integrated digital lifestyle with an enhanced seamless customer experience.

We already have the most comprehensive range of affordable packages to all customer segments nationwide and continue to look for on-going opportunities to offer more value-added offerings,” he said. Celcom Axiata CEO Datuk Seri Shazalli Ramly said the company heeded the call by the ministry to encourage greater Internet usage among the people. He said Celcom was committed to championing the needs of the people to gain access to the latest technology with affordable broadband. Present were representatives from TIME, U Mobile, DiGi and Maxis.

In an immediate reaction to the announcement, Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan lauded the plan, but added that it should have been done “a long time ago”. Nadzim said he agreed that the plan would encourage more Internet use among Malaysian.  

Publisher: New Straits Times, Prime News,Pg4                                                                     
Date : 16 April 2015, Thursday

Author: Fazleena Aziz, Fairuz Mohd Shahar, Farhana Syed Nokman and Tan Pooi Sze

Advantages of Broadband Network :

The speed of a broadband connection is the major highlight. The data transmission speed of the connection is more than 200 kbps while dial-up is 56 kbps. This is true in the major part of the country, as most connection speeds are "provisioned." (ISPs promise to make a best-efforts attempt to deliver the provisioned upload and download speeds.) 

1. Broadband Internet access allows the Internet to be connected while the phone line is in use. This is because both the voice line and the data line are separate in the broadband connection.

2. With broadband, the user need not worry about checking email. If the computer is on, the email application will automatically update from the server by checking for new emails.

3. Thanks to broadband, multiple users can work at the same time simultaneously. In contrast to this, if multiple computers are used on the same bandwidth in a dial-up connection, the speed will be very low.

4. Broadband connections have digital connections and are highly reliable. There are fewer breaks as the data transmission is fast. In dial-up modems, at times there is a data overload.

5. As the connection is fast, the download rate is also fast. Thus, downloading, music, files, emails, etc. is much faster in a broadband connection.

6. In a broadband Internet connection, there are no automatic cut-offs or time-outs of the connection.

7. The broadband connection is an “always on” connection. The broadband connection is always on 24/7 once the computer is started. This saves a lot of time as compared to dial-up where the user has to free a phone line, put in a password, connect, and then browse.

8. Broadband connections are billed according to the usage or plan and not as per how much time is spent. Thus, users do not have to keep a track of the time they spend on the Internet. 

9. Broadband Internet access is available for wireless devices as well. This connection is an advantage for those who own a laptop, palmtop, or cell phone.

Disadvantages of Broadband Network :

1. Speedier broadband connections cost almost twice as much as a dial-up connection. However, this can be reduced to an extent if you already have a separate phone line for the Internet that you can cancel.

2. Security concerns arise when the computer is on 24/7. Since the computer is on most of the time, there may be a possibility that someone might want to access the computer. Many security features are available in the market to overcome this issue.

3. The broadband connection increases the speed capability of the Internet, but does not guarantee the speed. The speed of the Internet is also very much dependent on the IPS's servers. If the servers are slow, outdated, or over-burdened, the speed of the Internet connection will suffer. 

 

Conclusion

Broadband Internet access comes with both advantages and disadvantages. However, despite the disadvantages it has become the most common way to connect to the Internet. Broadband is the future of telecommunications, and the broadband connection industry is growing just as customer demand is growing. Simultaneously, research is also ongoing to provide a better product. To conclude, it can be rightly said that the broadband Internet connection is a very important invention in the world of technology and one that is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Source of :
Written by: J. Edward Casteele
Edited by: Lamar Stonecypher•updated: 1/15/2010