Budget 2023: TNB given RM25 million to bring high speed broadband to 60,000 rural Malaysians

It’s Budget 2023 time everyone, and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Utama Tengku Zafrul has just delivered the government’s budget plans to parliament. In his speech, he covered everything from handing out RM200 eWallet credit to youths as well as allocating RM73 million in funds to tackle cybersecurity threats.

In between talking about talking about the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) program and the latest with Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), Tengku Zafrul also touched on the government’s latest plans to improve internet connectivity in the rural areas of the country. This will see Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) take on the role of optimising the countryside’s electrical grid to ensure it’s ready for the infrastructure needed for high speed broadband internet.

Part of this plan will see the government provide TNB with a RM25 million matching grant, which means that TNB will also need to fork out at least RM25 million of their own funds for this project. This rural internet plan is expected to benefit over 60,000 Malaysians currently living in rural areas and lacking high speed internet connectivity.

If and when TNB does complete this plan, it’s likely that their broadband internet plan will be offered via Allo, the internet service provider that’s wholly owned by TNB. Allo currently has a presence in several rural areas already, providing fibre network in areas such as Sungai Rapat, Menglembu and Tasek in Perak, as well as Jasin, Melaka. Allo had also announced plans earlier this year to continue expanding their broadband coverage to over 300,000 premises in Peninsular Malaysia by the end of the year.