USP funding to make up to 60% of RM21.6b NFCP roll-out

Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced yesterday that the Cabinet had approved the five-year (2019-2023) NFCP, which will spearhead the development of digital infrastructure and increase competitiveness. The cost of the implementation is a whopping RM21.6bil.

PETALING JAYA: The Universal Service Provision (USP) fund will be tapped by the government to pay for the bulk of its RM21.6bil National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP) that seeks to narrow the digital divide in the country between urban and rural areas.

With between 50% and 60% of the money coming from the fund, which is said to contain around RM8bil, the remaining money will be sourced from various parties, including telecoms players that will invest for the deployment of infrastructure, particularly to new areas in urban, semi-urban and rural places using fibre and alternative technologies such as cellular, wireless and satellite.