KUALA LUMPUR: Some 5.7 million premises have been approved for fiberisation in the second stage of Phase One of the National Digital Network (JENDELA) as at March 31, 2021, with 4G coverage at 93.51 per cent, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Its chairman Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek said 292,826 premises have been passed for fixed broadband, while 29 new mobile broadband sites and 3,278 upgraded mobile broadband sites were completed during the January-March 2021 period.

"We are on track. From the KPI (key performance indicator) standpoint in premises passed for fixed broadband, we hit 132 per cent of the target in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021.

"For new commercial mobile broadband sites, we managed to get 116 per cent achievement, and 101.7 per cent success for the upgrading of mobile broadband sites," he said during the JENDELA Second Quarterly Report briefing, today.

Fadhlullah said the shut down of the 3G network sunset was also on track with the service providers have successfully migrated 629,018 customers, while 20,492 3G carriers were switched off as at Feb 28, 2021.

Meanwhile, he noted that MCMC will continue to work and discuss with state authorities in order to standardise the cost of deployment for new network tower and rooftop structure as it is currently on different levels between regions.

A data shared by MCMC showed that the cost to deploy a new network tower in Sarawak is the highest at RM37,000 for the first year, and RM2,880 for subsequent renewal of existing towers for the first five years.

Johor, on the other hand recorded the highest total cost to maintain a network tower over the span of six years at RM116,750, with the cost for a new tower at RM26,750 and RM18,000 to renew existing tower for five years.

Six states and regions with lower cost of tower deployment of less than RM10,000 are Perak (RM9,925); Kuala Lumpur (RM9,800); Selangor (RM8,600); Sabah (RM8,500) Pahang (RM7,150), and Labuan (RM2,065).

"We will continue to get them (the states) to lower their respective charges for a new tower deployment by getting them to see the importance of facilitating the cost of doing business given that telecommunication is set to be the third utility in the future," said Fadhlullah.

He said the Commission had recorded an increase in the number of overall network complaints in Q1 2021 to 54,538 complaints from 28,577 complaints in the previous quarter.

"The rise in network complaints was mainly due to the enforcement of Movement Control Order 2.0 since Jan 13, 2021 since many people spent time at home and experiencing connectivity problems," he added.

-- BERNAMA