PADANG BESAR, Dec 12 — The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) remains committed to ensuring that the country’s rural population is able to access telecommunications network facilities including internet service equally as good as that enjoyed by people living in the city.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said that the ministry is currently discussing with telecommunications companies to solve issues related to the absence of telecommunications network facilities and address complaints received regarding the matter.
“Although, for example, we have more than 95 per cent connectivity throughout Malaysia, there are areas with poor coverage. Sometimes we see the connectivity is lost, there is only one bar, then it disappears because of poor connectivity strength such as in hilly areas,” he said.
He said this to reporters after attending a ceremony held in appreciation of the frontliners from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) at the Padang Besar district police headquarters here today, which was also attended by the district police chief Supt Saifudin Aslin Abbas.
“People in rural areas also pay (postpaid or prepaid bills) at the same price as people in the city,” he said, adding that electricity supply disruption is one of the reasons telecommunications transmitters cannot function properly, thus disrupting the network.
He said that generator sets (gensets) were used to ensure telecommunications transmitters in areas without electricity functioned well, but there were situations where the gensets were faulty, hence affecting transmitters.
Meanwhile, he said that KKMM would also focus on efforts to improve internet access at the country’s borders, including in Padang Besar, as many of these areas are facing issues of poor internet service. — Bernama