KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 2017 Budget announcement that fixed line broadband service providers will offer services at higher speeds for the same price, is in line with Telekom Malaysia Bhd's business plans going forward.
TM group chief executive officer Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa said that the telecommunications giant has factored in the growth of its fixed line broadband services over the next three years.
He told a media briefing here today that under the 'Broadband Improvement Plan' for 2017, TM's home customers will be enjoying higher broadband speeds at better value.
“We welcome the recent announcement by our prime minister of the government's aspiration to make high speed broadband access more affordable for the rakyat.
“The budget addresses specific measures to strengthen and advance the digital economy with the aim of advancing the country's prosperity in a balanced, fair, and inclusive manner,” he said.
In a prepared statement, he also said that TM applauds the government's acknowledgement on the importance of digital connectivity to revolutionise Malaysia's economic activity.
On the sidelines after the press conference, Zamzamzairani said that the company's earnings won't be disrupted by the move to offer consumers double the internet speed at the same cost.
At the media briefing today, TM Consumer and SME's executive vice president Imri Mokhtar said TM will communicate developments in this direction (i.e. changes to data packages) starting December this year to its customers.
On Friday, during the presentation of the 2017 Budget, Najib announced that within the next two years, the speed of internet connection will be doubled with reduction in prices by 50 per cent.
The prime minister had said that a subscriber of 5 megabytes per second package at RM149, for example, will enjoy a package with twice the speed, which is 10 megabytes per second.