If the future is a connected one, then one of the most important pillars has to be the telcos that offer connectivity services. After all, what is the use of a high-tech, highly connected device if your internet or telecommunications service sucks? It is a little difficult to judge how good a telco or plan is in isolation because so much of it will depend on where you are and what you can afford.
That’s why we decided to gather nominations from the diverse cast of SoyaCincau’s staff, with the goal of getting a well-rounded look at what real-world people think the best internet plans and providers are. After that, the nominations were shortlisted and then discussed in detail by a panel consisting of Amin Ashaari, Alexander Wong, Najib Hamid, Raymond Saw, Jonathan Lee, Hanif Azrai, and Sudarshan Duke.
Read the rest of our Awards
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best Smartphone, Tablet and Smartwatch of the Year
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best EV of the Year
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best Laptop, Peripheral and Headphones of the Year
- SoyaCincau Awards 2022: The best Gadget, Tech Brand, Disappointment and Surprise of the Year
Prepaid plan of the Year
Yes FT5G Unlimited – GOLD WINNER
YTL Communications’ Yes 5G is the first telco to offer 5G services in Malaysia and the FT5G prepaid is the most affordable 5G plan which comes with unlimited data and unlimited calls. Although Yes’ 4G network isn’t as wide as the big four telcos, it’s hard to argue with the plan’s unlimited high-speed 5G access with speeds exceeding 1Gbps within optimal areas of DNB’s coverage.
Even with more telcos on board with 5G, the FT5G plan remains the unbeatable option for consumers to try 5G and it supports the most 5G devices.
Learn more about Yes 5G’s offerings here.
U Mobile U35 – SILVER WINNER
U Mobile is always known for providing the best value for money unlimited prepaid plans. While telcos are slowly tightening their Fair Usage Policy (FUP) restrictions, U35 prepaid remains a top pick with unlimited data capped at 6Mbps and it has a generous FUP of 100GB a month.
Learn more about U Mobile’s prepaid offerings here.
Yoodo 20GB – BRONZE WINNER
Yoodo, the digital telco under Celcom, still offers the best customisable offering and they have one of the best telco apps in the country. The perpetual 20GB high-speed data for RM20 promo is the best low commitment prepaid option in the market and you can even use it overseas with Yoodo’s Roam Like Home feature.
Learn more about Yoodo’s customisable plans here.
Postpaid plan of the Year
U Postpaid 98 – GOLD WINNER
U Mobile made a bold move this year by replacing its popular Unlimited Hero Postpaid plans with its new “Unbeatable” plans that come with a truckload of high-speed data. The U Postpaid 98 plan offers the best value for your buck with a whopping 1000GB of 4G/5G data and unlimited calls. For frequent travellers, U Mobile provides greater peace of mind with free 15GB of roaming in 63 countries as well as free incoming calls when you’re travelling abroad.
Learn more about U Mobile’s postpaid offerings here.
Digi Postpaid Infinite 75 – SILVER WINNER
Consumers looking for the best value unlimited plan with a higher speed cap would be hard pressed to find a better postpaid plan than Digi’s Postpaid Infinite 75. It offers unlimited data up to 12Mbps, 10GB of hotspot data and unlimited calls within Malaysia. On top of that, the plan also offers a generous FUP cap of 600GB per month should be more than enough for most users.
If you’re willing to commit to a 12-month contract, Infinite 75 customers can add-on high-speed data, unlimited data for social, video or gaming, at no extra cost.
Learn more about Digi’s Postpaid offerings here.
Xpax Postpaid 60 – BRONZE WINNER
The Xpax Postpaid 60 is a plan that hits the right spot for those who want a postpaid plan without high monthly commitments. It stands out for having 40GB of high-speed data and it bundles unlimited calls as well as unlimited YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Do note that the doubled 40GB quota is only offered for the first 12 months under its ongoing promo.
Learn more about Xpax’s Postpaid plans here.
Broadband Plan of the Year
Astro Broadband 500Mbps – GOLD WINNER
Astro isn’t just doing Pay TV services anymore, as it aims to be a serious broadband player in Malaysia. As a newcomer in the fibre broadband space, Astro currently offers 500Mbps for RM189/month standalone which is priced competitively against other established telcos such as TM and Maxis. On top of that, customers can bundle the 500Mbps fibre plan with Astro TV and content from RM251.99/month. Despite being the latest provider to join the market, Astro can roll out its services just as quickly nationwide since it taps into TM’s HSBB network.
See what else Astro has to offer here.
Time 2Gbps – SILVER WINNER
Four years after introducing 1Gbps fibre broadband for home users, Time has broken the speed barrier again by introducing its 2Gbps fibre broadband for RM379/month. Unlike some other 2Gbps plans offered in other countries (essentially 2x 1Gbps connections), Time is offering true 2Gbps that’s delivered in a single wireless router. This is made possible with the commercial deployment of 10G PON, which is the first in the country.
Check out Time’s broadband offers here.
Unifi 300Mbps – BRONZE WINNER
TM is still the leading fibre broadband player in the country and the 300Mbps Unifi Broadband + Entertainment plan can be seen as the best all-rounder. Besides having high-speed 300Mbps connection, Unifi also offers Unifi TV and Unifi Plus Box that comes with over 70 premium channels as well as access to Disney+ Hotstar, BBC Player, Viu, iQiyi.
To inspire confidence, TM also offers a 30-day free trial and the industry’s first 24-hour restoration service guarantee.
See Unifi’s other broadband plans here.
Mobile Telco of the Year
Digi – GOLD WINNER
Digi has made great strides this year by revamping its family postpaid and fibre bundles. The most notable offering is Digi’s offer of 3 postpaid lines with unlimited data (FUP: 999GB) and unlimited calls for RM200. On top of that, you can add-on 300Mbps fibre broadband for only RM100/month. These bundles are not just affordable but they are also transparent and easy to understand.
On the standalone prepaid and postpaid mobile segment, Digi continues to offer a wide variety of options to choose from, which offers more data for less. The yellow telco still offers one of the best data and call roaming passes that cover an extensive number of countries.
Stay up to date with Digi here.
Yes – SILVER WINNER
Yes has made a lot of buzz this year as the first and only 5G telco in Malaysia for almost a full year. Although it has a not so extensive 4G network, Yes has catapulted itself into the spotlight for being the first to jump on board with DNB’s national 5G network. No doubt, Yes faced an uphill task to convince people to jump onto a network that’s still work in progress.
Gradually, they improved their services over time and they currently have the most optimised 5G experience and they have the most number of 5G devices supported, among all telcos. Besides offering a competitive 5G prepaid plan with unlimited data, Yes made a daring move this year to revamp its postpaid lineup with true unlimited 4G and 5G data without FUP which is something refreshing for 2022.
Learn more about Yes’ plans for the future here.
Maxis – BRONZE WINNER
Besides having hardly any updates to its postpaid, prepaid and fibre broadband offering, Maxis continues to stand out for having the best mobile network performance and experience as validated by Opensignal and Ookla speedtest. Although it has a couple of misses when it comes to transparency of terms and conditions, and clarity of plans, it remains one of the more consistent telcos for mobile experience.
Follow updates on Maxis here.
Fixed broadband telco of the Year
Astro – GOLD WINNER
Broadband players have been talking a lot about convergence but nobody does content better than Astro. In its ambition to transition from a Pay TV operator into a content aggregator, Astro has partnered with top streaming partners including Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, iQiyi and TVB Anywhere+. It also remains the only provider that can offer live sports content, streaming subscriptions and fibre broadband all in a single bill. With its wholesale partnership with TM, Astro has the potential to be a formidable broadband player that can provide content and connectivity nationwide.
Keep up to date with Astro here.
Telekom Malaysia (Unifi) – SILVER WINNER
Telekom Malaysia remains the key driving force to accelerate fibre broadband access throughout the country. Under the JENDELA programme, the broadband provider has been more consistent in surpassing its quarterly targets to achieve the national target of 7.5 million fibre-passed premises by the end of 2022. Through the HSBB network, TM has also been the enabler for other retail fibre services to expand their footprint nationwide.
Follow TM’s stories here.
Time – BRONZE WINNER
Time continues to be the fibre broadband champion for offering the best value Mbps for your ringgit. Its base plan of RM99/month remains the unbeatable entry-level option with symmetrical 100Mbps speeds for both downloads and uploads. Time has also achieved a new milestone this year by offering 2Gbps home fibre broadband which is the fastest in the country. This is made possible with its commercial deployment of 10G PON technology, which is the first of its kind in Malaysia.
Keep up with Time’s stories here.
