MEASAT TO DEPLOY 300,000 CONNECTMENOW CONNECTIONS BY YEAR-END

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9  --  Satellite operator MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn Bhd (MEASAT) intends to deploy its high-speed satellite broadband service, CONNECTme NOW, to 300,000 connections throughout Malaysia by year-end.

MEASAT chief operating officer Yau Chyong Lim said to-date, MEASAT has installed more than 2,000 CONNECTme NOW sites -- including 1,183 sites in Sarawak and 243 in Sabah -- serving over 200,000 broadband connections nationwide. 

"Since the start of the pandemic, it has become clearer than ever to Malaysians that Internet access is no longer a luxury but a necessity. 

"With education, economic activities and social interactions moving into online spaces, stable and accessible Internet connectivity is a must, which in turn motivates us to overcome the logistical challenges of providing a truly inclusive broadband service," he said during the CONNECTme NOW virtual media briefing today. 

CONNECTme NOW is a high-speed satellite broadband service that provides Internet access to communities in rural and remote areas, in locations that are not covered by 4G or fibre connectivity. 

MEASAT assistant vice president Ganendra Selvaraj said by employing a Very Small Aperture Terminal and High Throughput Satellite technology, MEASAT enables CONNECTme NOW users to access the internet through Prepaid Access Code vouchers, with no contract or fixed monthly charges, putting power and control in the hands of users.

He noted that the CONNECTme NOW has helped connect the underserved communities through deployment in various Orang Asli villages across the Titiwangsa Range in Peninsular Malaysia and also at sites in East Malaysia which are far from terrestrial connectivity.

“Very recently, we worked with the Sabah Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to expand deployment of the CONNECTme NOW service in 50 remote locations across Sabah,” said Ganendra. 

Following the success of CONNECTme NOW in Malaysia, MEASAT aims to take CONNECTme NOW service and technology internationally to neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, expanding to connect their unconnected populations.

In the near term, he said, MEASAT looks forward to announcing the launch of MEASAT-3d in early 2022, which will address Internet connectivity needs for 100 per cent of the unserved population when MEASAT-3d is operational. 

-- BERNAMA