THE Malaysian communications and multimedia (C&M) industry performed well in 2019 with an overall market capitalisation of RM144.01 bil or 8.4% of the total market capitalisation of Bursa Malaysia.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said of the total, RM134.01 bil came from the telecommunications sector, RM7.29 bi from the broadcasting sector and RM2.71 bil from the postal and courier sector.
According to the MCMC’s statistics, the total value marked an increase of RM6.28 bil or 4.56% from RM137.73 bil in 2018.
“The statistics also show that the C&M industry generated a revenue of RM43.37 bil with the telecommunications sector being the biggest contributor, accounting for 80.2% or RM34.8 bil (in the year under review),” MCMC said in a statement today.
The broadcasting sector was the second highest contributor at 13.6% (RM5.88 bil), followed by the the postal and courier sector at 6.2% (RM2.69 bil).
Capital expenditure for the telecommunications sector was recorded at RM4.6 bil in the previous year and of the amount, RM2.97 bil was used for mobile services capital while RM1.63 bil for fixed services capital.
“Most of the capital expenditure was used to upgrade the mobile and optical fibre networks to enhance their capacity and quality, while enabling the telecommunications sector to provide the best service to customers,” he said.
Of the total broadband subscriptions, 43.38 million were recorded in 2019, of which, 2.95 million were for fixed broadband subscriptions, an increase of 10.9% compared to 2.26 million in the previous year.
Meanwhile, mobile broadband subscriptions increased by 9.9% to 40.42 million (36.79 million in 2018), and for residential areas, 3G coverage was 95.5% in 2019 (94.7% in 2018).The 4G LTE coverage stood at 82.2% in 2019 (79.7% in 2018).
During the Movement Control Order (CPP) period, broadband usage rates were high, and recognising this fact, the government provided several special packages, including 1GB of free internet daily under the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package unveiled on March 27.
Meanwhile, the 5G technology, which is being implemented is expected to change the level of connectivity and become an important variable in the country’s economy, hence, would holistically affect the lives of people, businesses and the government.
MCMC chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak said the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day (WTISD), which is celebrated tomorrow (May 17), aims to raise public awareness of the potential achieved through the use of internet, as well as communication technologies and information to the people and country.
“Hence, as a regulatory body of the C&M industry, MCMC is committed to ensuring that the country’s communities are connected and able to benefit from high-quality connectivity,” he said.
Themed “Connect 2030: ICT for Sustainable Development Goals”, the WTISD 2020 celebration focuses on the advancement and emergence of new ICT trends as catalysts for smart and sustainable development while preserving the economy, environment and society. – May 16, 2020, Bernama
