Govt Will Ensure Telcos Provide Good Services - Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR, May 26 (Bernama) -- The government will ensure that telecommunication companies (telcos) deliver their promises of faster and cheaper services, guided by the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP), said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the mechanism enables the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to ensure that ordinary consumers will always get a better price for services.

“We have mechanisms such as the MSAP, which we apply to Telekom Malaysia (TM). This helps to ensure that prices remain competitive.

"We last reviewed the MSAP last year, and it will be something that we review every two or three years," he told reporters after the signing ceremony of the U Mobile Sdn Bhd-TM partnership here today.

U Mobile Sdn Bhd has appointed TM as its key fibre backhaul partner to accelerate the deployment of its 5G network nationwide.  

Under the 10-year partnership agreement, worth RM2.4 billion, TM will provide U Mobile a comprehensive suite of backhaul infrastructure services, including fibre leased line access to U Mobile’s 5G Radio Access Network, data centre and TM Edge Facility leasing for Points of Interconnect.

According to Fahmi, the Ministry of Communications has asked U Mobile to discuss with Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) to explore possible network sharing arrangements for the benefit of consumers.

“I believe the collaboration (between U Mobile and TM) is a step in the right direction and a positive development that should be supported to ensure not only the sustainability of the telecommunications sector but also the industry's readiness to maintain a dynamic ecosystem," he added.

-- BERNAMA