MCMC to review 4G coverage disparity among telcos - minister

MCMC will examine the disparity in 4G Coverage of Populated Areas (Copa) among telecommunications companies, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said that although Malaysia has achieved an overall 92 percent for Sarawak and 98.70 percent nationwide as of Q1 2025, coverage levels vary significantly among telcos.

“Some telcos have Copa as low as 76 percent, while others go up to 86 percent,” he told reporters after officiating the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day 2025 celebration in Cyberjaya today.

Fahmi said he instructed MCMC to provide detailed reports showing the national aggregate and individual telco Copa, broken down by state.

“We want to make sure when Malaysians pay for internet packages, they receive coverage across the country - not just in selected areas. We’re paying for nationwide access,” he said.

Fahmi stressed that 4G services must be available throughout Malaysia, and that the government had been actively working to enhance network-sharing among telcos.

“I’ve worked hard to get all telcos to participate in network sharing, and we formalised this through a recently published framework,” he said.

On another development, Fahmi said the soon-to-be-enforced Online Safety Act (Onsa) 2024 would play a crucial role in holding social media platforms accountable for the content they host, particularly in protecting users from scams and online harm.

He emphasised that the Act would compel platforms to share the responsibility of ensuring a safer digital environment.

“One of the key objectives is to make sure that social media platforms are responsible for the kind of content available on their platforms,” he said.

Fahmi also raised concerns over the lack of action by major platforms, especially Facebook, in tackling scam and gambling advertisements, despite these being paid content.

“For example, there are many scam and gambling ads, yet Facebook hasn’t done enough to remove them - simply because scammers are paying for them,” he said.

“As such, we’re waiting for the Online Safety Act to receive royal assent, and once it comes into effect, we believe that the Onsa will play a pivotal role,” he added.

Passed by Parliament in December last year, the Act will require social media platform providers to meet three core responsibilities: ensuring platform safety, protecting children under 13, and limiting access to harmful content.

Platforms will also be required to issue clear user guidelines, including terms of use, and provide mechanisms for users to report harmful or offensive content.

- Bernama

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