KOTA KINABALU: The story of Veveonah Mosibin, a Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) from Kampung Sapatalang, Pitas who had to climb a tree to get internet connectivity so that she could sit for her online exam, reflects just how poor the internet services are in Sabah.
Sabah Assistant Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ruddy Awah said the internet services in the urban areas were just as poor as those in the rural areas even though hundreds of ringgit had been spent on unlimited services and mobile data to internet service providers (ISPs) every month.
Based on complaints received, he said, there seemed to be no solution to remedy the poor services which ranged from slow speed to blind spots due to geographical location and zero services provided by local ISPs.
According to Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, 51 out of 538 new towers that have been planned have been completed while 2,041 from out of 3,500 transmitter stations set to be upgraded have also been completed.
On the fibre optics replacement for existing premises, it was reported that 81,268 from out of 251,165 were completed while there are 138 satellite broadband planned to be built in Sabah.
This means that after almost 60 years of independence, people still have to wait for another 20 years to enjoy internet access, said Ruddy.
He said the federal government is also targeting to install 30,000 from out of 251,000 premises with fibre optics by next year, under the 12th Malaysia Plan.
He added that the government's planning must put the interests of the people and the country ahead of corporate demand without compromising cyber security especially in Sabah.
"I therefore appeal to the federal government to always place cyber security as a priority in ensuring the smooth implementation and construction of 5G ," Ruddy said.
The implementation will be carried out by the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) own entity called Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), which will be the national wholesaler for all 5G access in Malaysia, he said.
The rural areas in Sabah and Sarawak will stand to benefit from this method as before this. Malaysian telecommunication companies would not enter these places due to lack of commercial value, he said.
On the other hand, DNB will now act as the coordinating body for a single national network, where they can get 5G contractors to bid on each other and save money, he said.
For instance, the DNB could build a national network for RM16.5 billion including corporate and operating expenses compared to telcos, which would cost up to RM35 billion, he cited.
However, telco industry leaders were against such method as they expressed concern that they would rely entirely on a third party, DNB, for access to critical network infrastructure.
Besides that, he said DNB has also has barred telcos from bidding and holding 5G spectrum licences to avoid manipulation in terms of price offerings to consumers.
For example, he said Maxis listed RM11.5 billion in intangible assets from its 3G and 4G spectrum licences and since the company cannot bid for the 5G spectrum, the government has forced them to improve the status of their existing services for the benefits of consumers, he cited.
He said MCMC needs to ensure participation from telcos in offering a quality service and attractive prices to consumers.
As reviews showed, Maxis charges between RM35 and RM60 for speeds between 5Mbps and 24Mbps for unlimited internet service. Digi, on the other hand, charges between RM45 and RM105 for broadband speeds between 25GB and 100GB per month, while Celcom prices between RM38 to RM58 per month for speeds up to 6Mbps only, he said, adding that Unifi charges from RM89 to RM349 for speeds between 30Mbps to 800Mbps.
However, Ruddy said most of the urban dwellers and those living just outside major towns in Sabah claimed that they did not experience the speeds promoted by ISPs.
"Imagine, with the price offered, most areas in Sabah, are only able to get 5Mbps speeds, which is just enough to enjoy low quality YouTube videos.
"5Mbps is not enough for hotspots. There is no point in getting higher speeds if you live in an area with low connectivity," he said.
Based on a recent Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) study, he said it is important to adopt a technology-neutral approach and to implement a flexible regulatory framework, to enable countries to take full advantage of 5G.
This in turn will encourage investment and at the same time protect the consumers, he said.