KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 3,149 WiFi access points have been installed across three public universities under the first phase of an initiative to enhance internet connectivity in higher education institutions (IPTA), says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Out of this number, 1,837 access points were deployed across four faculties and a residential college at Universiti Malaya, while the remaining units were installed at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (Usim) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap).
"A total of RM11.6mil was allocated for this initiative, and all access points under the first phase were completed by Feb 5, as targeted.
"The entire process took about three weeks to complete,” he told reporters after inspecting the WiFi installations at Universiti Malaya on Saturday (Feb 8).
For the second phase, Fahmi said an additional 31,173 access points will be installed starting in March across 14 public universities, 24 polytechnics and 43 community colleges nationwide. The second phase, which is expected to be completed within four months, involves a total cost of RM175.8mil.
Fahmi said the initiative follows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s directive to improve internet coverage on campuses, colleges and universities. He also said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is also working to resolve connectivity issues in these institutions.
"Prior to this, the Communications Ministry and MCMC introduced several initiatives, such as the Rahmah Siswa package, which offers 30GB of data for six months at 50% lower prices for students. However, feedback from students indicated that they prefer campus WiFi due to its wider coverage.
"Insya-Allah, with nearly 35,000 access points set to be completed by July, I hope this will comprehensively address internet access issues across all public universities,” he said.
Fahmi, who is Lembah Pantai MP, also presented 50 laptops to Universiti Malaya students, particularly those affected by last year's floods. - Bernama
