Penang is the first state to make fibre optic infrastructure mandatory for new developments

Penang state exco Zairil Khir Johari has announced that the state government has declared fibre optic infrastructure as a basic utility in all new buildings and developments throughout the state. The decision was made inline with the state’s Penang 2030 vision.

Under the Penang Connectivity Master Plan (PCMP), installation of fixed telecommunications infrastructure is made mandatory under the By-Laws 25 and 27 of the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 at the local council level. This makes Penang the first state in Malaysia to require developers to treat fibre optic infrastructure as a basic utility similar to electricity and water supply.

The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia has expressed gratitude to the state for prioritising telecommunications infrastructure in its policy. The move by the state government will ensure local authorities can better plan new developments which will make it more competitive in attracting new investments due its readiness in communications infrastructure.

Zairil explained that high-speed broadband access via fibre optic is made mandatory as the usage of copper wires is no longer relevant. Not only it will enable gigabit speeds as part of its ambition to be the first Gigabit state in Malaysia, the fibre infrastructure will also speed up the deployment of 5G when it is available.

The Ministry has also welcomed steps taken by the Johor, Kedah and Melaka state governments to introduce similar policies. It said the MCMC and industry players will cooperate with the respective state governments to ensure that internet is declared a third utility in 2021. It added that the move will provide a positive impact such as increased investments from telecommunications company as well as triggering a spill-over effect to the development of an area or state.

If internet is not treated a basic utility, broadband infrastructure is often treated as an afterthought. Most current homeowners can move in to their new homes with direct access electricity and water, but some might need to wait for years before fibre is expanded to their area. Getting approvals from local authorities remain one of the biggest challenges faced by telcos as they would need to dig roads to lay fibre optic cables or to build telco towers on private land.

With the move to declare internet as a basic utility, new residents will soon enjoy high-speed fibre internet in all new housing developments from day 1. This would also speed up the approval process by telcos from the respective local authorities.

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