MEASAT-3d satellite to connect 2 million rakyat
lacking high-speed broadband access
11 May 2022
MEASAT Global Berhad is set to
close the digital gap in rural areas, with the upcoming
launch of the MEASAT-3d satellite on 22 June 2022,
French Guiana Time (23 June 2022
Kuala Lumpur Time). Using the High Throughput Satellite
(“HTS”) capacity on MEASAT[1]3d,
Malaysians will be able to enjoy high-speed internet
whether in urban and suburban
areas or hard to reach rural villages, via MEASAT’s
CONNECTme NOW satellite broadband service.
MEASAT’s CONNECTme NOW will connect
10,000 sites in the next three (3) years to serve more
than two (2) million rakyat in remote areas that
currently have no or limited access to high-speed
broadband internet. To date, MEASAT has rolled out more
than 3,000 CONNECTme NOW sites nationwide, with a
majority in the remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak. In
addition, other telecommunications providers can also
tap on the new satellite to offer data, voice and video
services to the last 3-5% of the population not yet
covered by fibre connectivity or wireless broadband.
“MEASAT is proud to support
Malaysian Government initiatives including the Jalinan
Digital Negara (“JENDELA”) plan to close the digital
connectivity gap and enable a better[1]connected
future for all Malaysians, by expanding high-speed
internet coverage in under[1]connected
rural areas. With MEASAT-3d and through CONNECTme NOW,
we look forward to providing internet access for the
unserved population. As the pandemic has
fast tracked the adoption of technology and the use of
broadband for education, economic activity and social
interaction, we have initiated a series of future
satellite initiatives to
improve broadband services and cellular backhaul in the
next three to five years, to accelerate the formation of
a digitally-inclusive society,” said Yau Chyong Lim,
Chief Operating Officer, MEASAT.
“With better access to the
internet, the rakyat will be able to derive
socioeconomic
benefits such as participating in eCommerce and digital
learning. We aim to fill the
broadband gap in locations without 4G, DNB’s 5G mobile
or fibre coverage in Malaysia.
We are supporting the Government’s
target to achieve 100% internet access by 2025
indicated in the MyDigital blueprint, as well as JENDELA
targets for connecting and digitalising the nation. In
line with studies showing that increasing broadband
speeds and
internet penetration improves Gross Domestic Product
(“GDP”), we hope that by increasing broadband speeds
approximately threefold and growing internet
penetration, we will achieve economic benefits from
wider access to job opportunities in the internet
economy for over two (2) million rakyat,” he added.
“On a wider scale, with our
immediate targets within Malaysia clearly in sight, we
intend to
replicate and grow the CONNECTme service regionally in
the longer term. To support this growth, we need to
significantly expand our satellite broadband capacity
with a strategy
that includes geostationary and non-geostationary
satellites,” Yau further commented.
Don't Miss ASF
2022 High Level
PNG/PACIFIC ISLANDS: SMART SOLUTIONS FOR CONNECTIVITY AND
SERVICES
SAVE THE DATE
Australasia Satellite Forum 2022
14 & 15 June 2022
|