Provide unlimited access, telcos urged
Published on: Monday, April 13, 2020
File photo from Bernama.
Kota Kinabalu: Sepanggar MP, Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman urged telecommunications companies to work together to assist the Government and the people by providing unlimited access throughout the Movement Control Order (MCO) period as part of their social responsibility to society.He said it was undeniable that the Communications and Multimedia Ministry with the help of the telecommunications industry has been and is working to ensure that the internet access of the people is not affected during the MCO, including through the provision of free high-speed internet of one-gigabyte (1GB) per day, from April 1 until the end of the MCO.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said nonetheless, the extension of the MCO period which enters the third phase from April 15 is likely to result in high demand and use of internet data due to the large number of online transactions and activities.
“We are aware that the use of the Internet during the MCO period was no longer only an option and could only be used by certain groups, but it has become ‘new normal’ and the need for all segments of society including those in rural areas to communicate and obtain information, even perform transactions.
“Even throughout the MCO, many teachers have organised online classes but many students especially in rural areas have difficulty accessing online classes due to insufficient data.
“Throughout the MCO, lets not talk about the ability to buy data, but even the ability to buy food items has been difficult as parents have lost their source of income.”
ADVERTISEMENT
He said students and teachers at the school level to the tertiary level now need to master and apply online teaching and learning (PdP) fully. Not only that, much of the information involved with the CPP, Covid-19, and information on aid to the people is now faster, easier and more widely available online via mobile phones only.
Azis said for example, he had taken steps in his Sepanggar Parliamentary area since the first day of MCO to develop an online survey and census system to find out the current number of households, so that appropriate assistance can be channelled systematically, quickly and effectively.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, he said many have complained about the lack of access to internet data and the inability to buy data from telecommunications companies which made them unable to know of the availability of online applications or were unable to access the online system because their phone data was finished.
He said there have been many complaints in his area about the difficulty in accessing the internet for the day-to-day activities of the home, including the difficulties in accessing the public assistance information system as mentioned above due to people having limited internet data or have difficulty to top up their internet data.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
