As of the second quarter of 2015, Malaysia\u2019s broadband penetration rate per 100 household stands at 72.2%<\/a>, according to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission\u2019s (MCMC) latest data.<\/p>\n Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak<\/p><\/div>\n Recently, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak, came under fire when he wrote on his blog<\/a>\u00a0that Malaysians preferred packages with slower Internet speeds of between 384 Kbps to 1 Mbps although faster connections were available.<\/p>\n This is based on data released by MCMC, where 71% of Malaysians prefer cheaper Internet packages with slower speed. This figure does not accurately explain why Malaysians opt for slower Internet, and is definitely disputable as it omitted key factors such as infrastructure, coverage, pricing and plan availability.<\/p>\n People who are willing to pay more for higher speed Internet may be deterred due to these reasons.<\/p>\n According to DAP leader Lim Kit Siang, who opposed strongly to Salleh\u2019s blog post<\/a>, the main reason why people opt for slower Internet speed is due to the high cost of broadband in the country. Although broadband prices could definitely be more affordable in Malaysia, this is not the only reason why people choose slow over fast when it comes to Internet speed.<\/p>\n In terms of users at home, MCMC\u2019s Internet Users Survey 2014<\/em><\/a> recorded 24.6% of those with Internet connection, liked the quality while 7.4% claimed that the quality is mostly bad. The remaining 68% said that the quality is inconsistent.<\/p>\n Evident in the data above, Malaysians do consider the quality of their Internet service. This is further supported by the data collected by iMoney\u2019s between April and September 2015 through applications for broadband on its Broadband Smart Search<\/a>.\u00a0The users are mostly from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Johor Bahru, Ipoh and Melaka.<\/p>\n Preferred broadband packages by Malaysians<\/p><\/div>\n More than half (54%) of users seeking broadband, applied for broadband packages with speed of 20 Mbps and above, despite being aware of the high cost of between RM179 and RM421.88. While those applying for lower speeds were mainly driven with the knowledge that their areas lacked the coverage for higher packages.<\/p>\n Based on the information collected by iMoney, more than half (59%) of those who went through the tool did not get the broadband package that they initially wanted.<\/p>\n Why Malaysians are not getting high-speed Internet<\/p><\/div>\n The above data shows that most Internet applicants prefer high-speed Internet, but are unable to subscribe to it due to the lack of infrastructure to support. With better facilities and infrastructure it is without doubt that these Malaysians would opt for and enjoy high-speed broadband.<\/p>\n![\"Salleh](\"https:\/\/static.imoney.my\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Salleh-Said-Keruak.jpg\")
<\/a><\/span>What do Malaysians really want?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Malaysia](\"https:\/\/static.imoney.my\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Info-BBand01.jpg\")
<\/span>So, what are the real deterrents?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Malaysia](\"https:\/\/static.imoney.my\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Info-BBand02.jpg\")