FOMCA in the News | The Malay Mail - Need for speed, say consumer groups |
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| Written by admin |
| Wednesday, 10 March 2010 00:02 |
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PETALING JAYA: The government’s proposal to make it compulsory for property developers to provide broadband Internet facilities at new residential and commercial areas has received the thumbs-up from consumer groups — provided the government improves the speed and quality of the Internet services, too. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced last Thursday that the government may want to amend the existing Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 to make broadband infrastructure a compulsory service. Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) president Datuk N. Marimuthu told The Malay Mail: "The quality of our Internet services is horrendous. I can’t even get quality service in the middle of the city. What more can I say when I’m in a rural area?" Marimuthu said before the government makes such things compulsory, the current levels of Internet speed and quality need to improve tremendously. National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) chief executive, Muhammad Shaani Abdullah, also told The Malay Mail about the relatively poor quality of Internet services in the country. “I don’t think consumers now are getting what they are paying for. Internet providers often charge about RM100 per month, but the service is seldom satisfying,” said Shaani. “I use 3G connection on my mobile phone and more often than not, I cannot access the Internet in certain areas.” Shaani nonetheless lauded the government’s realisation that the Internet is a necessity. "We are currently entering the age where we rely a lot on the Internet, especially with the advent of new media. We should emulate countries like Estonia, France and Finland where the Internet is regarded as a basic human right.” |
| Last Updated on Thursday, 11 March 2010 00:07 |