Satellite-based internet is now seen as a viable option to provide connectivity to remote areas across Asia. For these areas, Moosom said solar-based power will need to be deployed to run the equipment needed for the WiFI service. Some areas are quite remote and may not have electricity. One of the challenges that need to be addressed though is whether the islands being eyed for the service have power. Moosom has also broached the idea of tapping MEASAT to provide internet in remote areas in other BIMP-EAGA countries. He said Malaysia will launch another satellite in orbit later in the year, which can mean faster internet speed for subscribers. “It's like having a WiFi at your place or your home,” said Moosom of the service. He believes that providing satellite internet for BIMP-EAGA’s remote areas makes sense because there is no need to lay out cables and other infrastructure, which would take time and investment. BEBC is the body that represents the private sector in BIMP-EAGA. “Better connectivity among the traders will mean an increase in trade,” he said. Benefits to tradersĬarl Moosom, chairman of the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) Sabah, has welcomed MEASAT’s move to roll out the satellite broadband service in remote areas in Malaysia, citing benefits to traders. Internet connectivity has become urgent in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic due to lockdowns which had forced students to resort to online learning and businesses to require employees to work from home. In December, MEASAT installed its 1,000th satellite broadband service in Data Kakus in Sarawak. In February, MEASAT, along with Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi Sabah, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, deployed CONNECTme Now in Kampung Walu-hu, Ranau, Sabah, following reports students had braved wildlife attacks just to find internet signal in a nearby forest. As of December, the service has been installed in 1,000 sites in rural Malaysia. The company says it can provide service within days and speeds of up to 30 Mbps. According to its website, CONNECTme NOW targets areas without 3G or 4G mobile or fiber coverage. MEASAT’s venture into rural areas through its CONNECTme NOW service is an example of how Malaysia is improving access. Malaysia made it to the roster because it was able to boost accessibility, with a $5.4-billion plan to connect more of its citizens to the internet. In Southeast Asia, BIMP-EAGA countries, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, ranked second and third place respectively in the Digital Inclusion Index 2020 of global consultancy Roland Berger. MEASAT is now serving villages and communities in Sabah and Sarawak, both part of BIMP-EAGA.īIMP-EAGA considers digital connectivity among its development pillars because of its potential to spur trade and investment and empower individuals and societies to contribute better to the digital economy. Malaysian satellite operator MEASAT Global Berhad is now providing satellite broadband in remote areas in Malaysia as part of plans to serve communities which cannot be reached via terrestrial communication infrastructure.

CONNECTMENOW PROFESSIONAL

CONNECTMENOW DOWNLOAD

This is all great stuff and technology, especially mobile technology, obviously has plenty more to offer the conference and events industry.īut there are also conversations at events like this that make me think I am in a time machine.

CONNECTMENOW PROFESSIONAL

ConnectMe has confirmed that they have been appointed by CTT to deploy its satellite broadband service for the village.įor more info, you can check out ConnectMe Now on their official website.At the Professional Conference Organisers Conference in the Gold Coast late last year words such as augmented reality, beacon technology, chatbots and integrated event ‘tech decks’ came up a few times in keynotes. Recently, the MCMC has announced that Sabah state-backed firm, Common Tower Technologies Sdn Bhd (CTT) will provide VSAT connectivity for Kampung Gusi in Sabah as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. The weather can also affect the quality of service but as demonstrated by ConnectMe, it can still get close to 20Mbps even when it’s raining. Since the signal takes quarter of a second from earth to satellite, the ping is more than 500ms but it’s more than good enough for video streaming and web browsing. Of course, the drawback is that latency is definitely higher than mobile connectivity.

CONNECTMENOW DOWNLOAD

It can provide download speeds of up to 100Mbps via Ka-band which can further narrow the digital divide between urban and rural areas. The new satellite based on Airbus’ Eurostar E3000 has a High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) capacity of 30 Gbps. In 2021, the service will be able to provide even faster broadband speeds with the launch of MEASAT-3d. ConnectMe to offer up to 100Mbps in 2021Īt the moment, ConnectMe provides download speeds of up to 30Mbps and upload speeds of up to 5Mbps. For those who are living in areas with a population of 100 people without 4G access may contact ConnectMe’s distributors to get started. At the moment, they have covered more than 900 sites nationwide. They used to offer unlimited quota for RM138/month but the plan has been discontinued.ĬonnectMe has distributors not only in West Malaysia but also in Sabah and Sarawak. This serves as a practical interim solution to provide high-speed access to underserved Malaysians.Īs a comparison, the normal ConnectMe plan costs RM198/month for 60GB of quota and the installation fee can be as high as RM1,200 in East Malaysia. Although it costs more than a typical mobile prepaid plan, it is still cost effective considering that it can be deployed quickly and there’s no upfront cost for the community. We are told that there are 2 prepaid options – 1GB data for RM10 which is valid for 30 days and 5GB data for RM40 which is valid for 60 days. The landowner can be incentivised for hosting and providing power supply for the equipment, while a local dealer can earn additional income for selling the prepaid vouchers. The WiFi coverage can be extended if required.Īpart from providing connectivity, there’s also an ecosystem around it. The satellite-powered WiFi hotspot can cover an area of 100 metres with its 2x Omni WiFi outdoor antennas. In such locations, they can deploy a solar-powered solution with battery supply to power up the router and WiFi access points 24/7. What’s interesting is that the WiFi service can even work in areas without a reliable power source.