Malaysians are happy with their home broadband but 1-in-6 are still paying too much

Over 66% of home broadband users in Malaysia say they are satisfied with the quality of their home broadband, according to the iMoney 2019 Broadband Survey. The happiest are TIME Fibre customers with 93% saying they are satisfied with the service by the operator.

Unifi also saw mostly happy customers with 63% of respondents satisfied with their service. This number is substantial considering as a majority (42%) of the respondents say that they are unifi subscribers.

However, the survey found, one in six Malaysians are still paying more than what they should for broadband.

As it stands, the greater Klang Valley offers the most variety of broadband operators and packages in Malaysia. Generally, a 100Mbps broadband package costs between RM99 and RM129 per month in the Klang Valley while a 30Mbps package costs about RM89 per month.

Still paying too much

However, the iMoney survey revealed that 17% of respondents are still paying more than that for far slower connections. Some reported paying RM200 per month for a 30Mbps home broadband plan.

“Major fibre broadband providers in Malaysia no longer charge more than RM100 for a 30Mbps plan, which indicates that these respondents are likely still on their legacy plans, and not yet been upgraded by their providers,” the survey indicated.

Despite being satisfied with their home broadband 67% of respondents felt that broadband prices can be cheaper. “This could possibly indicate that Malaysians might be overpaying because of a general lack of awareness of the latest broadband rates,” according to the survey.

Additionally, 82% of the respondents shared that they would switch their current package for one that offers more value for money. 100Mbps is the boradband speed of choice for Malaysian with 66% of respondents saying that they are on a 100Mbps plan despite faster broadband speeds available. 100Mbps seems to be the favourite possible due to the price and adequate speed provided.

At the same time, switching to faster plans yields an average of 28% savings on their internet bills (for 30Mbps and 100Mbps plan). The reduction in broadband prices and the increase in broadband speeds can be attributed to the government’s efforts through MCMC to implement the Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing (MSAP) which came into effect in June last year.

Coverage and port availability

However, the survey indicates while there is interest to switch to the cheaper and faster broadband package, the biggest challenge remains coverage and port availability.

“Out of those who expressed interest in signing up for a broadband package via iMoney in the last quarter of 2018, 32% were unable to do so due to the lack of coverage in their location. Of those that did have the necessary coverage, more than half (53%) of the applicants were not able to access the broadband package of their choice due to technical issues such as insufficient port allocations,” according to survey.

With home broadband pricing and speed getting increasingly competitive, this is the best time for Malaysians to regularly review their broadband plans to find one that fits their usage.

However, Mitul Lakhani, Group Chief Executive Officer of the iMoney Group, said “there is still more to do to ensure all Malaysians can benefit from MCMC’s efforts. The next step is for all Malaysians to assess their broadband needs and take advantage of broadband packages currently available, to ensure they are getting better value for their money,” he said.