KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has found over 1,600 non-compliance issues involving telecommunications service providers through quality tests conducted between January and July.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching told the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Aug 25) that such quality audits are conducted nationwide periodically to ensure compliance with Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service (MSQoS).
MSQoS are regulations set by the MCMC governing the quality of wireless broadband services to ensure that telcos meet standards, including targets for download and upload speeds.
“Based on the 2024 audit findings, a total of 268 Commission Directives involving 219 locations were issued under Subsection 51(2) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to service providers for non-compliance with MSQoS," she said during Question Time.
"The providers involved are required to carry out improvements in service quality in the affected areas according to the directives issued."
Teo said 2,781 quality tests were conducted nationwide from Jan 1 to July 31, from which 1,684 MSQoS non-compliance issues involving 815 locations were recorded.
"Service providers have successfully resolved 462 non-compliance cases to meet the mandatory standards.
"The remaining 1,222 cases are still under assessment for issuance of Commission Directives, as they involve upgrading existing towers or constructing new towers, which requires more time,” she added.
Teo said the MCMC will conduct follow-up inspections to ensure compliance by service providers and that improvements are made.
Service providers will be liable to a fine not exceeding RM1mil, imprisonment not exceeding 10 years, or both, under Section 53 of the Act for failure to comply with Commission Directives, she noted.
In addition, they may also be subjected to a fine of RM500,000, according to Subsection 105(5) of the Act.
Teo said consumers can also lodge complaints directly with service providers if they do not meet MSQoS standards, so that appropriate action can be taken.
“If the complaint is not resolved, users can escalate it to MCMC via https://aduan.mcmc.gov.my," she said.
Consumers are also encouraged to provide information on locations experiencing service quality issues via the MCMC Nexus app.
"Tests that show consistent download speeds of below 10Mbps will be forwarded to service providers for investigation and resolution.
"If the issue remains unresolved, MCMC will conduct an MSQoS audit to ensure appropriate improvement actions are implemented,” she said.
Muhammad Fawwaz Mohamad Jan (PN-Permatang Pauh) asked about monitoring and penalties if telecommunications companies fail to provide satisfactory coverage, especially in rural areas.
To a supplementary question by Fawwaz, Teo said telcos have been required to provide a minimum average download speed of 10Mbps from Jan 1 this year.
