While the implementation of the 5G network in Malaysia began with a rocky start, it has picked up pace with the network covering 73% of populated areas as of October 2023.
Despite the high coverage though, the adoption rate for the network remains low, only at 10.8% during the same period. This can be attributed to many factors, one of which is the fact that some telco companies in Malaysia were charging extra to customers for 5G access.
However, this is set to be a thing of the past as Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil yesterday (9 January) announced that there are no longer extra charges for 5G services in Malaysia.
Taking to his official Facebook page, Fahmi urged everyone to upgrade their existing telco services to 5G and stressed that there are no more extra charges for 5G access in our country.
Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil
He announced,
“When 3G was upgraded to 4G, there was no extra charges. When 4G was upgraded to 5G, there shouldn’t be any extra charges.”
“Today, I announce that THERE ARE NO MORE EXTRA CHARGES for 5G services.”
Beyond that, the Communications Minister didn’t elaborate further on the announcement, so many Malaysians were left guessing as to when this new “no extra charge policy” would be enforced and whether it would be immediate.
In December 2023, the government already issued a warning to telco companies to not charge extra to customers for accessing the 5G network or face potential action.
In the comments section, many Malaysians were unconvinced at the Communications Minister’s announcement and said that they’re still being charged extra by their respective telcos for 5G access.
One commenter claimed that his telco is still charging him an extra RM10 for accessing the 5G network.
Another commenter shared that he’s also still being charged an extra fee for 5G access and questioned the legitimacy of the announcement.
Besides that, one Malaysian hoped that Fahmi’s announcement would be enforced as he claimed that the Communications Ministry previously announced the same thing but the extra fees persisted. The commenter further claimed that telco companies are sneakily ‘hiding’ these extra charges by repackaging their offerings to be more expensive.
Meanwhile, another netizen urged the Communications Minister to ‘turun padang’ or go on the ground to check on these extra fees as he claimed that they’re still rampant or repackaged to hide the additional charges.
So, what do you guys think of the whole situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: Fahmi Fadzil: M’sia Has the Fastest Median 5G Network Speed in Southeast Asia, 3rd Globally
