Malaysia's Time dotCom Berhad has commenced discussions with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on implementing the government's planned national broadband agenda.
The operator's CEO Afzal Abdul Rahim told the Malaysian Reserve that the company fully supports the government's target of doubling broadband speeds while halving prices.
He said Time dotCom has already started engaging the MCMC in this regard, and expects only a limited impact on the company's margins as a result of the pressure to reduce prices.
The operator is concentrating its broadband efforts on multi-dwelling units, which represent just over a quarter of households in the country, because it is unable to access existing poles or plant new poles to reach the remainder.
Meanwhile newly appointed communications and multimedia minister Gobind Singh Deo is expected to meet operators within the next two weeks to encourage them to get on board with the national broadband agenda.
The minister has asserted that broadband services in Malaysia remain far inferior to those of other developed countries, and that there is no reason that Malaysia cannot emulate other broadband systems from overseas.
Time dotCom recently reported an 18.6% year-on-year increase in net profit for the March quarter to 62.94 million ringgit ($15.8 million). Revenue increased 5.6% over the same period to 230.73 million ringgit.