Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has identified 1,661 locations nationwide in Malaysia for the deployment of new 2G and 4G Telco towers/base station, to improve mobile coverage nationwide.
As part of Phase 1 (2020-2022) of the multi-billion JENDELA project, MCMC said in September 2020 that it intends to achieve the following targets:
- 7.5 million premises passed for fixed broadband (HSBB)
- 96.9% 4G LTE coverage (MCMC said JENDELA will consider options on cost saving to meet the 96.9%)
- 35Mbps mobile broadband speeds
- 5G planing – infrastructure to be 5G-ready
To achieve the 96.9% 4G LTE coverage, some 940 new sites will be deployed by end of 2020, 4,589 sites to be upgraded to 4G by end of 2021 and another 1,661 new 4G sites to be deployed by end of 2022.
The deployment of the new 1,661 sites nationwide will be funded via the Universal Service Provision (USP) Fund. The funds are contributed annually by the major Telecommunication companies in Malaysia.
The new 1,661 sites will offer 2G and 4G services as 3G networks in Malaysia will be shut down by the end of 2021. It will cover 12 states and one (1) Federal Territory in Malaysia:
- Johor
- Kedah
- Kelantan
- Melaka
- Negeri Sembilan
- Pahang
- Perak
- Pulau Pinang
- Selangor
- Terengganu
- Sabah
- Sarawak
- Federal Territory of Labuan
Out of the 1,661 locations identified by the Malaysia communications regulator, a total of 1,020 locations or 61% are located in Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak respectively, whilst the remaining 641 locations or 39% are located in Peninsular Malaysia.
78.75% or 1,308 sites are located in rural and remote areas.
It also said all the Telco sites “will be fiberised as far as is possible” without providing any specific numbers.
Expected mobile Internet average speeds will be 35Mbps. The latest insight from Speedtest by Ookla reveals that the average mobile speeds in Malaysia was 24.63Mbps in October 2020.
Notice issued by MCMC today:
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The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today announced the issuance of the first invitation for the submission of draft plans for the provisioning of public cellular and mobile broadband services at 1,661 sites nationwide under the JENDELA Phase 1 initiative. This initiative is part of the aspiration to enhance the nationwide coverage of 4G from 91.8% to 96.9% in populated areas nationwide.
The improved specifications for provisioning of service for 2G and 4G services will cover 12 states and one (1) Federal Territory in Malaysia namely Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Terengganu, Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Out of the 1,661 locations identified by the Commission, a total of 1,020 locations or 61% are located in Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak respectively, whilst the remaining 641 locations or 39% are located in Peninsular Malaysia. 78.75% or 1,308 sites are located in rural and remote areas. This is important towards ensuring the parity of services for the rakyat nationwide as an effort to bridge the digital divide.
Following from the surge in demand for broadband after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has made an effort to enhance the technical specifications of this project, which will see end-users enjoying average speeds from 25Mbps of 35Mbps. These speeds will enable people to work from home, and enjoy a variety of services from live streaming to e-sports. All sites will be fiberised as far as is possible, where the terrain allows for this, as this will significantly improve the quality of the broadband services in terms of speed, reliability and user experience. Fiberising these areas will also allow for future expansion of fibre based services.
The deployment of services for the benefit of the general public here is fully funded by the Universal Service Provision Fund, which is governed by the Communications and Multimedia (Universal Service Provision) Regulations 2002.
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