The network of the future is already being built as we speak. 5G is an important part of that. The speed of technological developments that bring about countless new, smart opportunities enriching our life is unprecedented.
– Eben Albertyn, chief technology officer at VodafoneZiggo
There is case to be made for the adoption of 5G, that is we are not using it enough.
When the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy (SDES) was implemented from 2018 to 2022, a key component of it was to ensure internet access in all areas.
Internet access is now a basic right – as basic as clean water and uninterrupted electricity supply.
Since the launch of this strategy by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in 2017, Sarawak has seen tremendous progress in ensuring internet accessibility is improved.
At the time, the world was content with the advent of 4G or the fourth generation of standards in mobile communication.
I remember the first time experiencing 4G internet and was blown away with its outrageous speed. That was when I upgraded my mobile phone to a model that supports the 4G band.
Now we are in the era of 5G whereby in Sarawak, the coverage for populated area (COPA) stands at 44.9 percent (as of October 2023).
For the whole nation, the COPA rate is at 70.2 per cent with the nationwide adoption rate at a low 7.4 percent.
From the breakdown of 5G coverage by states provided by the Communications and Digital Ministry, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, and Selangor are leading in COPA as of Sept 30, sitting at 97.6 percent, 97.3 per cent, and 94.3 per cent respectively.
Of the listed states, Kelantan, Pahang, Sabah, and Sarawak are listed as having the lowest coverage at below 50 per cent.
For the Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah, one can assume that the challenge in ensuring 5G coverage is due to the vast land size, requiring more infrastructure to allow for greater coverage.
However, the issue that remains is the low adoption rate of only 7.4 per cent equivalent to about two million users.
For context, Malaysia has a total of 33.03 million internet users as of the start of 2023 with internet penetration at 96.8 per cent.
One of the reasons to the low adoption rate is simply the fact that most smartphones and mobile internet devices that are currently used by internet users are not 5G ready.
5G is considered by smartphone and mobile internet device manufacturers as being a top-tier feature, reserved only for their mid-tier and flagship offerings.
This means that those who can afford to spend more money to buy mid-tier and flagship smartphone and internet devices would then be able to utilise 5G while those who are shopping on the more budget end would likely miss out.
This is a modern-day issue and it is where the government – both state and federal – can play its role to ensure the democratisation of 5G.
Presently, the federal government under Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has launched the 5G Rahmah package with a device price as low as RM240, together with a 60GB data plan priced at RM60 a month.
Two types of phones were offered: the Samsung A14 5G and the Honor 90 Lite 5G.
Telecommunication companies has adopted this and is offering different variances of the same package with more devices to choose from as well as more flexibility in the mobile internet plans.
This is also an area where the Sarawak government can further their digitalisation agenda by introducing schemes in collaboration with telecommunication companies to increase 5G adoption.
This is by providing a subsidised rate to both smartphone purchases as well as the accompanying mobile internet plans for Sarawak internet users.
For users who might not be willing to subscribe to post-paid internet plans, a device purchase voucher can be proposed to offset some of the cost of a 5G smartphone purchase.
Similarly, the state government can incorporate the scheme into the Kenyalang Gold Card (KGC) whereby discounts can be given to the elderly for the purpose of buying a smartphone with 5G.
For civil servants, rebates can be offered for device purchases while subsidies can be worked out with private companies for them to supply their employees with 5G capable smartphones.
While the rate of 5G COPA in Sarawak is still low compared to other states, it is expanding quickly. 5G offers a significant performance increase supporting huge number of connections and lowered latency in comparison to 4G.
The expanded network capacity is critical to the growth of Internet of Things (IOT) for sensors which is used for a number of industrial and home-based applications.
This is key to realising Sarawak’s vision for a digital society.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
