It has to be said the Jaringan Prihatin initiative, launched by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin two days ago, is a much-welcomed plan. It will help the B40 group get rebates on data plans or smartphone purchases.
It is, as the prime minister pointed out, a step to bridge the digital divide in Malaysia. We cannot run away from the fact that location, income, age and gender play a part in a person's access to the Internet and digital services.
As Malaysia moves into the 5G era, we have not overcome the issue of Internet connectivity, especially in rural and remote areas, where broadband services are not available or limited, at best.
How many times have reports have been published about the lengths some people in rural areas have had to go, in order to access the Internet? This is especially a problem during the pandemic, when students have to learn online.
Remember Veveonah Mosibin, who had to climb a tree to get better Internet access? Or the siblings in Beaufort who walked to a bridge over a river to get better connectivity? These are only some of the stories we have heard. There are many more like them.
Broadband penetration, according to the Department of Statistics, is at 90 per cent. However, much of this is actually through mobile data services. Fixed broadband penetration is actually at only 34.5 per cent.
In Sabah, that figure is a low 16.1 per cent, as of the second quarter of 2020. Sabah, however, does not have the lowest fixed broadband penetration in Malaysia. That "honour" belongs to Kelantan, at a shocking 12.2 per cent.
That is not so much a problem, of course, since mobile data services are available and almost everyone has a smartphone. Fixed broadband, then, is not exactly a must.
However, that again brings us back to the issue of connectivity. We have to face facts. Aid for the B40 group to get devices and a data plan at reduced rates should be lauded, but what use would they be if coverage is left to be desired?
It must be admitted that we have come a long way as far as connectivity is concerned, but there is still a huge gap between urban and rural areas. The government must improve infrastructure for better Internet connectivity.
Infrastructure is crucial in the provision of communication services, even more so in unserved and underserved areas. Perhaps, what the government needs to do is to push telecommunications providers to improve infrastructure or have tower sharing partnerships so that they cover a wider area. Our telecommunications footprint must cover rural and remote areas, or connectivity will continue to be a drawback.
There is still much to be done, especially in the interior. The prime minister, in fact, acknowledges this. He says this will be addressed in the National Digital Network (Jendela) programme.
We assume, then, that Jaringan Prihatin and Jendela are initiatives which will complement each other in order for the digital divide to be bridged.