11MP: 95% of populated areas with broadband infrastructure target

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 95% of the country's populated areas will enjoy broadband infrastructure through initiatives outlined in the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP).

According to the plan for the 2016-2020 period unveiled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, digital infrastructure will not only be vital in bringing people together through communication channels but also lay the foundation for economic development through knowledge-intensive industries.

The plan, which carries the theme "Anchoring Growth on People", notes that key infrastructure roll-out initiatives such as High-Speed Broadband 2 (HSBB 2), Suburban Broadband (SUBB) and Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) will be undertaken during this period, along with policies to improve access pricing and consumer protection frameworks.

"This will pave the way for the ubiquity of fibre connectivity, ensuring that Malaysians have access to affordable, high-quality digital infrastructure on par with the world's developed economies," according to the 11MP.

The HSBB 2 proposes to cover all state capitals and selected high-impact growth areas that will see 250,000 ports encompassing 410,000 premises by end-2016. It also eyes 100 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband being made available to all households in the areas involved by 2020.
Under the Suburban Broadband initiative covering suburban and rural areas, it is targeted that an additional 420,000 ports encompassing 750,000 premises will be installed within five years of the start of the project with 20 Mbps broadband made available to 50% of households by 2020.

Also in the pipeline are measures to improve the international to last-mile bandwidth capacity to meet the expected demand of 41 terabytes per second (Tbps) during the 11MP.

In integrating digital infrastructure planning, collaboration among the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), state governments and local authorities will be strengthened.
Under the plan, sharing of infrastructure and smooth deployment of broadband at standard and reduced cost will be the focus, and the collaboration will ensure that broadband supply meets both federal and state requirements.

On the DTT that allows broadcasting of high quality video over digitalised land-based signals, the 11MP is eyeing to implement the second phase of the DTT service in 2016-2017, covering 46 areas nationwide including 24 in Sabah and Sarawak, giving more households the option to choose between DTT and satellite televisions.
Meanwhile, the government aims to have 99% of the population served by clean and treated water by 2020 while non-revenue water (NRW) will be reduced from 36.6% in 2013 to 25% by 2020.

Under the plan, alternative water supply systems such as rain water harvesting, tube wells and gravity feed systems will be expanded in rural areas, particularly in Kelantan, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak. – Bernama