Broadband subscribers likely to enjoy rebate
THE subscribers of fixed broadband packages from telecommunications companies are likely to get a rebate on their payment following the enforcement of the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP) effective Jan 1 this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said it was one of the considerations of ongoing discussions to determine the wholesale ceiling price for providers of facilities and services used by telecommunications companies in the market.
Subscribers who had paid more would be given a refund, he said when replying to a supplementary question from Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) on the rebate for those who had subscribed the packages this year.
“I have taken the approach that it should be backdated (to Jan 1). Therefore, when the standard pricing was implemented, my personal position was that it ought to be backdated,” he said.
Gobind said he would meet with telecommunications companies this week to continue discussions on new broadband packages following the enforcement of MSAP.
“The deadline for all the proposed packages was July 31, two days ago. We are still processing. Many proposals have been sent to me. No decision has been made yet. I think (it will be done) in a while, perhaps in a month,” he said.
Gobind had targeted for the fixed broadband prices to drop at least 25 per cent by the end of this year following the implementation of MSAP, which would see a drop in the wholesale prices of service providers and, hence, the market prices for consumers.
“At the end of the day, our efforts to reduce the price, increase the speed and ensure world-class standard of services depend on the cooperation of the telecommunications companies.
“I am confident that we can resolve the problem and announce the (broadband) packages soon.”