Internet in Malaysia

The year 1995 is considered the beginning of the Internet age in Malaysia. The growth in the number of Internet hosts in Malaysia began around 1996. The country's first search engine and web portal company, Cari Internet, was also founded that year.[3] According to the first Malaysian Internet survey conducted from October to November 1995 by MIMOS and Beta Interactive Services, one out of every thousand Malaysians had access to the Internet (20,000 Internet users out of a population of 20 million).[4] In 1998, this number grew to 2.6% of the population. The total number of computer units sold, which was 467,000 in 1998 and 701,000 in 2000 indicated an increasing growth.[5][6]

In 2005 the National Public Policy Workshop (NPPW) proposed a strategy to increase the uptake of Information and communications technology (ICT) and the Internet. Among the outcomes of the NPPW was the High Speed Broadband initiative launched in 2010. As of July 2012 Internet users in Malaysia reached 25.3 million. Out of that number, there are 5 million broadband users, 2.5 million wireless broadband users and 10 million 3G subscribers.[7]

As of November 2020, Malaysia's average internet speed for fixed broadband is 91.40 megabits per second (Mbit/s) ranked on 43rd ranking. Average speed for mobile connection speed also gone up to 24.26 megabits per second (Mbit/s) ranked on 88th ranking.[8]

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission sets a low threshold for broadband.[9] It defines broadband as:

• Any service beyond the scope of existing PSTN/ISDN and 2G cellular networks
• With data rates that exceed the normal voice-related speed (56 kilobits per second (kbit/s) for PSTN and 64 kbit/s for ISDN)

This definition is far below the primary rate interface lower limit defined by the International Telecommunications Union in ITU-R F.1399.[10]

On 30 May 2011, the Malaysia government started to ban some websites, mostly file sharing websites;[13][14] this is despite a promise not to censor the Internet, made by the sixth prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak.[15]

Due to COVID-19, Malaysia’s Internet traffic have increased. According to JENDELA’s report, during the Movement Control Order(MCO),[16] Malaysia’s Internet traffic has increased by 30%-70%, while Internet speed has dropped by 30%-40%.[17]

Therefore , Government of Malaysia launched JENDELA Program (Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA)).

Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) will be the national digital communication enhancement platform under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021–2025). JENDELA will be implemented in phases:

Phase 1 (2020 – 2022):

Phase 1, which starts now until 2022, will involve optimising existing resources and infrastructure for both mobile and fixed connectivity by:

• Expanding 4G mobile broadband coverage from 91.8% to 96.9% in populated areas;
• Increasing mobile broadband speeds from 25Mbps to 35Mbps; and
• Enabling as many as 7.5 million premises to access gigabit speeds with fixed broadband services.

This will also involve the gradual switch-off/sunset of 3G networks until the end of 2021, allowing further upgrades to 4G networks as well as strengthening the foundation for 5G networks.

Phase 2 (Beyond 2022):

• Phase 2 of JENDELA involves addressing the remainder of the digital divide not covered under Phase 1, primarily utilising FWA and other fit-for-purpose technologies, as well as priming the nation’s transition to 5G; which will take place once action plans to build a robust 4G and fibre platform under Phase 1 are achieved.[18]

This also means that Malaysia’s 3G network will gradually be closed. If only 2G/3G network coverage is available in some areas, only 2G networks will be available after the 3G network is closed, which will affect consumers’ experience.

Therefore, the current priority of the Malaysian government is to increase 4G network coverage, from 91.8% of Malaysia’s 4G coverage to 96.9%.

In addition, they plan to increase the mobile network speed of mobile phones from 25 Mbps to 35 Mbps.

They will also ensure that 83% premises nationwide will have access to gigabit speed of fixed broadband

In order to ensure that users using 4G to make calls will not fall back to 2G without 3G network coverage, Malaysian telecom operators have launched VoLTE, and some also provide VoWiFi services. VoLTE allows you to maintain 4G / 4G+ networks when you call, and Bring clearer sound quality and shorter response time.[19][20]

For a long time, the international routing of Malaysian telecommunications companies have been criticized. For example, if Telekom Malaysia is connected to a server located in mainland China, it needs to go to Europe and then connect to PoP(s) for mainland China telecommunications companies such as China Telecom at Europe. Then only the data packet will transfered to the China backbone network. This connection method made the latency and connection quality to connect to China Server from TM users become worst.[21]

In addition, Telekom Malaysia's routing to some Cloudflare's IP isn't very good. Although it is Anycast IP, most TM users will be bypassed to Osaka, Japan or Hong Kong and connected to Cloudflare PoP in Osaka or Hong Kong, which brings a bad experience to users.[22]

• Censorship in Malaysia
• History of communications in Malaysia
• National Broadband Initiative (Malaysia)
• Telecommunications in Malaysia

• Johor Bahru Internet Exchange (JBIX)
• Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) (in Malay)
• Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
• Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX)