Here are some recent developments in broadband in Malaysia…

In summary: Malaysia lags behind together with Asia, WiMax licenses to be finally issued, a company gets money to develop WiMax technology, and some smart residents decide to take things into their own hands to get broadband in their remote housing area…and make money while doing it!

Josh: And how does Malaysia rank within Asia when it comes to broadband? Hmm.

Josh: Yay. Good, some progress. Now hurry up and issue them already.

Josh: Yay. Good for them. Now hurry up and develop it already.

Josh: This, about the Rawang Township WiFi is amazing news - not only because its a out of the way place getting WiFi, but also the activism demonstrated by the residents. The best way to describe them would be Prosumers.. Producers & Consumers. Knowing that its a slim chance that ISPs would bother to service their area, 5 of them teamed up and formed a company (BTP Wireless Sdn Bhd) to make it possible. What’s also interesting is that they managed to somehow reduce the monthly subscription price (their customers pay RM84 for a an unlimited access 1MBps line, and a MY015 VOIP phone line). The normal price is RM139 without extras.. That’s an RM55 reduction off normal rates and value for money with additional services.

So it’s very likely they brokered a deal where they manage to guarantee a certain number of subscribers in exchange for Jaring providing reduced rates. I hope the people behind BTP Wireless Sdn Bhd get rich for their smart efforts, but of course, they already know they will. With 6,500 existing potential household subscribers, and a 25,000 new houses going to be built in the township by 2008, these guys behind DTP Wireless Sdn Bhd obviously really knew what they were doing. In summary, this kind of activism is what we need more of - consumers not content to just complain, but to take matters into their own hands to change things and ensure it is sustainable as a business. Hopefully the idea demonstrated that you can make a change in the environment you live in, help other people, and be rewarded for it - will encourage more to do things like this. This is the way forward, rather than waiting for sluggish companies or a all-talk-hands-tied organizations to intervene.

Yes, that’s us. Here are a� few interviews that just got posted about RedesignMalaysia.com. One of them is by Charles F. Moriera, a tech journalist who writes for Mobile World and Surf Magazine. He’s posted the interview on his Next Gee Mobile World Blog.

The other is by fellow Klang Valley Streamyx User Group committee� member, James Yeang, who leads the Applications Special Interest Group within the KVSUG committee. He’s posted the interview on FriedBeef.com, which is a tech blog. Read excerpts below:

In not too surprising news, the nation’s broadband penetration rate is still low, despite the government targeting 25 per cent or 1.3 million subscribers by year end.

According to the MCMC, the latest (second quarter of 2006) statistics are 653,100 subscribers or 2.5 percent . At the average of 75,000 broadband subscribers a year, it seems likely to close at 805,000 this year - unless of course, from August 2006 till the end of the year, 495,000 people sign up.
That’s nearly half a million people. That means, in order to succeed, over the next 4 months, an average of 123,750 broadband subscribers need to sign up each month.

While I think that the government’s aspirations are noble, I think the goal setting is off the mark - especially since there doesn’t seem to have been any initiatives to promote broadband adoption, besides the EZ 2 OWN Broadband PC Program.

Readers, can you remember any other initiatives this year to push broadband? Not just private sector companies pushing their own products, but by the government.

On a related note…remember the “Cinta IT, Suka IT” song? You’ll probably remember the song, if not, probably just the chorus maybe. Why not a Kempen Cinta Jalur Lebar (Broadband)? A Broadband Song pehaps?

Seriously though - whichever method chosen, there definitely needs to be perhaps, a more visible campaign to promote broadband adoption. As the goals have been set - something should be done to make sure they are met.

This blog was posted in response to the following article on BeritaTek.