KUALA LUMPUR: Internet service provider Starlink will make its services available at schools and Higher Education Institutions (IPT) first, according to Communications and Digital Minister, Fahmi Fadzil.
He said this is in line with the recent announcement made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"I have presented the Network Facility and Service Provider License to Starlink, allowing them to provide satellite internet services in Malaysia, especially in remote areas," Fahmi said in a posting on Facebook today (July 20).
On July 15, the Prime Minister said the government plans to install 40 satellite Internet devices from Starlink, at higher education institutions around the country to help students who were unable to study due to unreliable Internet connectivity.
Anwar said the decision was made during his virtual meeting with SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk recently.
Apart from that, Fahmi said the government is also ready to cooperate with satellite internet service providers, including Starlink, to achieve 100 per cent internet coverage in populated areas.
Currently, 97 per cent of populated areas in Malaysia have internet access, while the remaining three per cent face challenges due to geographical issues, such as remote and isolated areas, which pose difficulties in network infrastructure development. – Bernama