[ UPDATE 4/10/2020 19:00 ] Celcom has announced that it has began restoration of its network since 6pm. As a token of appreciation for its customers’ patience, they are offering free data usage from 6pm (4th October) until 12.00am. === If you’re using Celcom and facing issues with mobile data and voice calls, you’re not alone. It appears that there’s a network disruption at the moment which causes some devices to show “no signal” or “emergency calls only” status.
Celcom has acknowledged the technical issue which affects their voice and data services in certain areas nationwide. According to the blue telco, their technical team is working hard to resolve and restore its services as soon as possible.
Customers in some areas nationwide may find their voice and data services experience affected due to a technical issue we are facing right now. Our technical team is working hard to resolve this issue and restore services as soon as possible.
— Celcom Axiata #StaySafe #StayConnected (@Celcom) October 4, 2020
MVNO Tune Talk appears to be affected as they have retweeted Celcom’s announcement:
Dear Tune Talkers, please take note of the following notice from our network provider regarding voice and data issue. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused https://t.co/xXOiD0nlX8
Yoodo which also utilises Celcom’s network has also posted a similar message on their social channels:
Dear users, we are aware of the current service outage that has affected users of several telco providers. Our team is working with the other providers to help resolve the issue. We appreciate your patience and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Meanwhile, Unifi has announced that Unifi Mobile customers outside their 4G coverage areas may face service disruption. Unifi Mobile relies on Celcom for domestic roaming in areas without Unifi’s 4G coverage. They added that their 4G network is not affected.
#unifialerts unifi Mobile users who are outside our 4G coverage areas may experience network connection issues. This is caused by a service disruption affecting our domestic roaming partner. The unifi Mobile 4G network is not affected by this issue. Thread 1/2
Following this afternoon’s network interruption, Celcom has announced that its voice and data services are now up and running. Restoration of its network has started since 6pm and they have apologised for the inconvenience caused as affected customers are unable to make calls and connect to the internet.
As a token of appreciation for its customers’ patience, Celcom will not deduct any data quota from 6pm (4th October) until 12.00am. Of course, this won’t make any difference if you’re already on an unlimited plan.
Celcom CEO Idham Nawawi had tweeted an apology this evening over the network issue which started at 3pm. In his tweet, he said sometimes despite everything they do to ensure the best for their customers, the worst could still happen. He added that the free data usage is provided as a token of appreciation for their customer’s support and patience.
Sometimes despite everything we do to ensure the best for our customers, the worst cld still happen. We r truly sorry for the interruption earlier. As a show of appreciation for ur support & patience, all data usage won’t be deducted from your quota fr 6pm until midnight @Celcom
Following last weekend’s network interruption, Celcom is offering another round of free unlimited data usage for its customers on Sunday (11th October). This will be applicable to all active Celcom prepaid, postpaid and enterprise subscribers.
If you’re a Celcom user, you would probably received an SMS this morning about a Feel Good Sunday promo. The free unlimited high-speed data offer will be available for 6 hours between 12pm to 6pm on 11th October 2020.
According to Celcom, the one-time free data usage offer will be activated automatically at 12pm. Any data usage before 12pm and after 6pm will utilise your existing data quota. Users can also check their free unlimited internet status via the Celcom Life app.
To recap, Celcom’s voice and data services were affected last Sunday from 3pm to 6pm. Its CEO Idham Nawawi had apologised for the interruption and announced free unlimited data usage for its customers from 6pm to 12am after their network was restored. Other Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) that utilise Celcom’s network such as Tune Talk and Yoodo were affected as well and they have also offered free data.
To support Malaysia’s frontliners that have served tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Digi has introduced a special edition Postpaid Smart Bundle. The plan comes with additional rebates and the option to purchase a new smartphone from as low as RM68.
The promo for frontliners isn’t just limited to those in the healthcare industry. Digi is offering this special edition Digi postpaid bundle to employees of government and government-linked corporations as well as companies that provide essential services which include banks, supermarkets, logistics and delivery services. This includes individuals that work for 7-Eleven, 99 Speedmart, Aeon, Grab, MyEG, Proton, Perodua, Shopee, Tesco, J&T Express and more. You can find the full list of eligible government agencies and companies here.
The bundled plan is Digi Postpaid 58 which comes with unlimited calls and 15GB of data. The plan provides 500MB of free daily bonus data and you’ll get even more data the long you stay with the plan. Every 6 months, Digi will provide additional 5GB data per month and you’ll get a total of 20GB extra after 2 years.
If you need a new phone, Digi is offering the Viv Y11 D and Oppo A12 for only RM68 on contract. They are also offering the Realme 5i at RM199 and the Vivo Y15S and A31 at RM299 respectively. The device bundle is tied to a shorter 12-month contract. On top of that, Digi is also waiving the usual advance payment and provides an additional RM10/month rebate for the first 12 months.
To make it easier to sign up, employees of eligible companies and agencies can sign up directly at any of their 200 Digi stores or Digi Store Express nationwide with a valid employee ID and other personal identification documents. This offer is available until 30 November 2020.
Maxis has added video streaming platform, IQiyi, to their Maxis TV VOD offering. As an introductory offer, first time users can enjoy free 1-month IQiyi VIP access and get 10GB of data for video streaming.
This free promotion is offered for both Maxis and Hotlink users until the 20th November 2020. According to Maxis, there’s only a single 30-day pass which comes with the IQiyi subscription and 10GB data of data for RM9.99. Take note that provided data can only be utilised for the subscribed video platform.
Apart from IQiyi, Maxis is also offering other VOD Premium access + data bundle for Viu, Iflix, Mubi and YuppTV. To subscribe, you can check out the Maxis TV pages for both Maxis and Hotlink. Do note that the subscription will auto-renew when the trial ends. If you’re not interested to subscribe, you’ll have to cancel the subscription before the last day of the trial.
Editor’s note: There’s no 1-day or 7-day options for IQiyi as posted earlier. Maxis is only offering a single 30-day VOD pass.
[ UPDATE 5/11/2020 17:00 ]: Celcom has updated that its technical issue has been fully restored. For those who are still having problems accessing data are advised to switch flight mode on and off, or to restart their devices.
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A month after the last major network outage, several Celcom customers are now experiencing problems accessing the internet on their mobile devices. Based on the complaints, it appears that the issue had started this morning.
Celcom is currently trending on Twitter and a significant number of users complained of not being able to open websites and Google. Other applications such as YouTube, Grab and Food Panda appear to be affected as well. It isn’t clear how extensive the problem is but it appears to be sporadic.
Based on the tweets, Celcom’s data services isn’t completely down as some applications such as Facebook are reported to be accessible.
Hi @Celcom, why i cannot open Google / YouTube and other thing but social media ok ja pun line. Please make your Internet access smoothly, i have to attend online classes and quiz today. Thank youu. pic.twitter.com/QEfiKp5Zrn
At the time of writing, our Yoodo line which uses Celcom’s network seems to be unaffected in Petaling Jaya.
Celcom is aware of the issue and they are working to solve the problem as soon as possible. According to Celcom’s website, they have announced that customers in some areas nationwide may find their data services affected due to a technical issue. They advised affected customers to restart their devices.
From the looks of it, Celcom had faced a similar interruption yesterday evening (4th November 2020) between 8.10pm to 8.54pm. The issue has been resolved and they also urged customers to restart their devices if the issue persists.
We’ve reached out to Celcom for further clarification. We will update this post once we received more info.
This is Celcom’s 6th major outage that we’ve covered in 2020. Prior to today’s issue, the blue telco had suffered nationwide data service disruption in July, August and October.
The last major network issue at Celcom occurred on 4th October which also affected all data services for a significant number of customers nationwide for 3 hours. As a token of appreciation for their customers’ patience, they had offered free unlimited data for 6 hours on two separate days.
Celcom CEO Idham Nawawi had revealed that the 4th October network disruption was caused by a software bug in a router which prevented their network from recovering in a matter of minutes after a power outage. After the incident, Idham says they have fixed the bug and will review all other elements of the network including their power systems, backups and uninterruptible power source.
Almost every telco in Malaysia has an unlimited call and data plan, but MVNO RedOne now has a new offering that’s rather different. The RedOne Hybrid50U plan comes with unlimited calls as well as “unlimited data” that has a speed cap of 3Mbps. On top of that, it still provides you with 10GB of high-speed data.
The Hybrid50U is marketed as a hybrid unlimited postpaid plan that costs RM50/month. At first glance, the plan appears to be better than your typical unlimited postpaid as it comes with an extra 10GB of high-speed data. This should be great for moments when you need to download or stream content at full speeds.
Unfortunately, it appears that you can’t control when you want to enable the high speed data. According to the FAQ, the 10GB bundled data will be used first before you can tap on your “unlimited” RedData.
The Hybrid50U also has a Fair Usage Policy for the “unlimited” RedData with the FAQ stating 100GB per month while the T&C states 500GB per month. We reckon the T&C’s 500GB is a typo and the hard cap is likely to be at 100GB.
[ UPDATE 20/11/20 18:40 ]: RedOne has confirmed that the FUP is 100GB.
In addition, there’s also a monthly FUP limit of 100 hours for voice calls. That should be enough for most people and it’s equivalent to 80 minutes of calls per day in a month.
Once your “unlimited” FUP is depleted, your speeds will be throttled down to 64kbps. Take note that the “unlimited” data can only be used on your device and it isn’t applicable for hotspot or tethering. If you need more high-speed data, you can buy data top-up with 1GB costing RM10 while 10GB costs RM45.
If you’re interested, take note that there’s still a registration fee of RM10 and you’ll have to pay one month advance payment. For those that are porting in from other providers, the advance payment will be waived. For more info, you can check out the RedOne Hybrid50U page.
If you’re an existing Celcom Postpaid customer, the blue telco is now offering a special offer for its Celcom Home Fibre broadband plan. Currently offered at RM120/month, eligible customers can subscribe to the 100Mbps Home Fibre plan for only RM99/month.
According to a Celcom Bluecube outlet, the promotion is offered for a limited time until the 31st December 2020. To be eligible, you’ll need to be an active Celcom Mega or other Celcom Mobile postpaid subscriber (at least RM80/month) with a minimum tenure of 6 months.
Those who are currently on the RM80/month 30Mbps Home Fibre plan can request to upgrade to this plan if they are an eligible Celcom postpaid customer. As usual, the plan is tied to a 24-month contract and it comes with unlimited quota. The home fibre promo also comes with no activation or installation fee.
A free dual-band wireless router is included and do note that the 100Mbps fibre plan comes with 50Mbps upload speed. Customers can make voice calls which are charged at 10 sen per minute to all domestic networks. The RM99 promo is tied to the postpaid plan and the fee will revert to RM120/month if you decide to terminate your mobile line.
For more info or if you’re interested to subscribe, you can visit your nearest Celcom Bluecube outlet.
A couple of months ago, Celcom has upgraded its Mega Postpaid Lightning plans with up to 20GB of extra data. For subscribers on the Mega Unlimited plan, you’ll be pleased to know that the blue telco is offering an extra speed bump and they are offering up to 3x the hotspot quota.
To recap, the Celcom Mega Unlimited plans offer unlimited calls and unlimited data but it comes with a speed cap and limited quota for hotspot. The base Mega Unlimited M Pass which costs RM98/month originally has a speed cap of 5Mbps and 5GB of hotspot quota. The higher Mega Unlimited L Pass which costs RM148/month came with 15Mbps speed cap and 10GB of hotspot quota.
With the latest upgrade, Unlimited M Pass users will get double the speed from 5Mbps to 10Mbps while the hotspot quota is doubled from 5GB to 10GB. Meanwhile, the The Unlimited L pass gets a slight speed bump from 15Mbps to 20Mbps which Celcom reckons is good for unlimited Ultra HD video streaming. For those that use their phones often as a WiFi hotspot, the monthly hotspot quota has been tripled from 10GB to 30GB.
For more info, you can check out Celcom’s Mega postpaid page and refer to their FAQ.
In case you missed it, Celcom is now offering 300Mbps and 500Mbps fibre broadband options which are bundled with WiFi 6 routers. In addition, Celcom has also introduced speed add-ons for Xpax prepaid where you can get 6Mbps speeds for your unlimited plan from RM1 per hour.
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is now officially available in Malaysia. If you’re interested in getting this flagship smartphone on contract, Celcom is now offering the device from RM119/month on its EasyPhone instalment program.
The Mate 40 Pro officially retails for RM4,299 and Celcom is bundling it with its Mega Lightning postpaid plan on a 24-month contract.
EasyPhone
Below are the monthly device instalment amount on Celcom EasyPhone instalment program:
Lightning M 50GB- RM160/month (RM258/month all-in)
Lightning L 80GB – RM140/month (RM288/month all-in)
At the moment, the EasyPhone option is only available for existing Celcom customers.
Standard Contract
The device is also available with a normal device bundle contract. Below are the subsidised pricing:
Lightning M 50GB – RM2,968
Lightning L 80GB – RM2,688
Lightning XL 160GB – RM2,278
With the standard contract option, you’ll have to pay an upfront payment which ranges between RM300 – RM1,000 depending on which plan you pick. This amount will be rebated back to your bill across 10 months.
As revealed by Huawei Malaysia, they are giving a Huawei Sound X smart speaker worth RM1,299 for free. This will be given to the first 1,000 customers that redeem the freebie from the Huawei Member Centre app starting from the 18th December 2020. You can also redeem other perks including cashback and rewards from the app.
For more info, you can visit Celcom’s Huawei Mate 40 Pro page on the online store.
Hardware Specs
The Mate 40 Pro is probably the last Huawei flagship of its kind due to the current restrictions from the US government. It features a 6.76″ OLED display that pushes a high 2772×1344 pixels resolution and a fluid 90Hz refresh rate.
Powering the device is a top-of-the-line 5nm Kirin 9000 processor with 5G support. It comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
Continuing the trend from its predecessor, the back gets a huge circular camera bump that houses a triple-camera setup. This include a 50MP f/1.9 main camera, a 20MP utlra-wide-angle shooter and a 12MP f/2.3 periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. For selfies, it gets a 13MP main shooter with a 3D TOF sensor.
Powering the flagship phone is a 4,400mAh battery that supports both 50W fast wireless charging and 66W fast wired charging. Finally, Huawei has also included stereo speakers and it also retains IP68 dust and water resistance.
Out of the box, it runs on EMUI 11 based on Android 10. However, it doesn’t come with Google apps and services pre-installed. To download apps, you’ll need to use Huawei AppGallery or side-load apps via the Petal Search widget that’s pre-installed.
You can learn more about the device in our hands-on post or watch our video below.
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro has arrived in Malaysia and Digi is offering the new flagship device from as low as RM98/month on its postpaid plan. As usual, it’s offered on Digi’s PhoneFreedom 365 instalment program which allows you to get a new device with RM0 upfront payment if you’re eligible.
To recap, the Mate 40 Pro with 5G support officially retails for RM4,299 and it comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. The device is only available in Mystic Silver.
To get the device on PhoneFreedom 365, you’ll need to sign up for a Digi Postpaid 120, 160 or 190 plan on a 24-month contract. The standard device bundle contract option is currently not available.
Below are the monthly device instalment amount excluding the postpaid subscription fee:
As part of their promo, customers can also enjoy double the data quota up to 200GB for the highest Postpaid 190 plan. On top of that, you can also get additional monthly rebate of RM15/month for Postpaid 120, RM20/month for Postpaid 160 and RM25/month for Postpaid 190. This is only applicable to the first 24-months of your contract tenure.
Take note that Digi PhoneFreedom 365 with its RM0 upfront payment offer is better suited for existing Digi customers with good payment history. If you’re new to Digi, you’ll have to fork out between RM2,940 to RM3,010 upfront during registration.
As part of Huawei Malaysia’s introductory offer, you can stand a chance to get a Huawei Sound X speaker worth RM1,299 for free if you’re among the first 1,000 buyers nationwide to redeem it via the Huawei Member Centre. Huawei is also offering a bunch of rewards, cashback and promos which include free subscription to Huawei Video and cloud storage.
Yes has just revamped its postpaid and prepaid offering that’s designed for the new normal. As Malaysians demand more data for Work from Home or Learn from Home, the mobile telco under YTL Communications is offering more data from as low as RM15/month. The new offering is called Kasi Up and it’s described as YTL Communications’ attempt to boost Malaysians during the current pandemic.
On top of that, Yes has also introduced a new referral program where users can cash out their incentives to supplement their income. The program is aimed at assisting more Malaysians who are facing difficulty with cash flow.
Prepaid from RM15/month
The Kasi Up prepaid plan starts from RM15/month, you’ll get 10GB of high-speed data with 30 days of validity. Yes emphasised there’s no speed cap and there’s no time restriction for data usage. Unlike most prepaid plans which require a monthly top up of RM30, the RM15/month prepaid is aimed at helping cash strapped consumers while providing sufficient data.
Voice calls are charged at 9 sen per minute while calls within the Yes network is free of charge. Meanwhile, SMS is charged at 9 sen per SMS.
If you need more data, you can double up for an extra RM5. The Kasi Up Prepaid 20 offers 20GB of data for RM20/month. Users can also purchase more data from as little as RM1 for 1GB/day or RM10 for 10GB that’s valid for 7 days. According to Yes, there’s also no hotspot restrictions for the Prepaid 15 and Prepaid 20 plans.
Yes is also offering a RM30/month unlimited prepaid option but speeds are capped at 7Mbps and you are only given 9GB of hotspot data per month.
Postpaid with 100GB data for RM49/month
On top of that, the Yes Kasi Up postpaid plan offers a whopping 100GB of data for only RM49/month. What’s interesting is that subscribers can enjoy the first 6 months for free (worth RM294) with no upfront payment required. You’ll only need to pay from the 7th month onward but this offer is tied to a 24-month contract.
There are no hotspot restrictions and Yes says you can utilise the 100GB data bucket fully for hotspot usage. If you need more, you can add-on 10GB data for RM10. The plan also comes with unlimited calls to all networks in Malaysia while SMS are charged at 9 sen per message.
Free phone with RM30/month postpaid bundle
For those who don’t have a 4G phone, Yes is also offering a Postpaid 30 phone bundle with a 24-month contract. For RM30/month, the plan comes with 20GB of data and you get a phone for free. According to the telco, the bundled 4G phone is Yes branded and it’s valued at RM399.
Earn up to RM50 per referral
To offer Malaysians a chance to earn additional income, the Kasi Up referral program is providing cash rewards to those who refer their family and friends to their network. The reward will be credited to both the referrer and the referee.
Yes is giving RM5 each for successful referrals for Kasi Up Prepaid, RM15 for successful referrals for Kasi Up Postpaid 30 phone bundle and RM50 for Kasi Up Postpaid 49. The rewards can be redeemed via the revamped MyYes app which now comes with a new interface.
The self-care app now features a referral button where subscribers can track their rewards and progress. Users can use their rewards for reloads, pay bills or to purchase add-ons.
For those that need cash, both referrer and referee will get the option to cash out at anytime which is probably the first in the country. All you’ll need is to enter your bank details, verify by OTP and it will be credited directly to your bank account. According to the telco, users can make unlimited referrals and there’s no start-up cost to participate.
Do note that the minimum cash out amount is RM50. There’s a maximum cash out sum of RM5,000 per day and a maximum cap of RM20,000 per month.
For new subscribers, users can sign up and activate the SIM instantly via the MyYes app. There’s no need for in-store verification as the app uses eKYC (electronic know your customer) to verify your ID. Similar to Yoodo, the SIM will be delivered directly to your doorstep. The MyYes app is available on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Yes to boost coverage with 800MHz spectrum
According to Yes, they currently cover 90% of Malaysia’s population and they are the only pure 4G telco in Malaysia with VoLTE nationwide. Since there are no legacy 2G or 3G infrastructure, Yes says they are already ready for Malaysia’s target to shutdown 3G by end 2021 and for the eventual rollout of 5G.
When asked if their 4G network can ensure optimum coverage and quality of service despite the reduction of price, Managing Director Dato Yeoh Seok Hong assures that their network has sufficient capacity and spectrum to serve more customers with increasing demand. Yes currently has 1.3 million subscribers on their network.
He also shared that during their Learn From Home campaign where they gave out 40GB of free data, an average student consumes around 7.5GB of data each month. Under the campaign, Yes has distributed 400,000 SIM cards and 100,000 phones to students nationwide for online learning.
Apart from the current 2300MHz and 2600MHz 4G spectrum, Yes says they have been allocated the 800MHz spectrum from the government which will be used to boost their 4G network coverage and capacity. The B20 (800MHz) spectrum is said to be the world’s third popular 4G band and it’s widely used in Europe. With the spectrum, Yes aims to provide better and wider coverage especially for in-building.
Yes added that they are mandated to provide internet coverage in 10,000 schools nationwide and they have covered around 8,750 schools so far with 4G. For rural areas especially in Sabah and Sarawak, Dato Yeoh shared that the situation was unique and this would require collaboration with the authorities and industry players to cover underserved areas through USP projects.
At the time of writing, the FAQ for the new products are still not available on their website. We’ve reached out to YTL Communications for additional details about their postpaid and prepaid offering and we will update the post once we have received more info.
For more info on Yes’ Kasi Up products, you can check out their postpaid and prepaid pages.
YTL Communications has recently introduced its new Yes Kasi Up prepaid plan that offers 10GB of data for a low monthly commitment of RM15. If you’re wondering how good is Yes’ 4G network, you can give them a try by signing up for a new starter pack for only RM1.
This RM1 Kasi Up starter pack is available exclusively on the official Yes online store on Shopee. What you’re getting is a new SIM with Kasi Up Prepaid 15 plan that offers 10GB of data with a 30 day validity. Originally priced at RM15, you can order the SIM for just RM1 via Shopee and it will be delivered to you for free.
Once you’ve received your SIM, you can activate it directly on your smartphone. The electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) process to verify your identification is done completely on the MyYes app which eliminates the need of an in-store verification for new prepaid registration.
The bundled data is valid for 30 days upon activation and the SIM must be activated within 12 months from issuance. Voice calls are charged at 9 sen per minute while SMS are charged at 9 sen per message. Calls within Yes’ network is free of charge.
The Kasi Up prepaid 15 has no speed caps or hotspot limitation. If you need more data you can purchase 1GB/day for RM1 or 10GB/week for RM10.
If you need more than 10GB per month, you can renew with Kasi Up Prepaid 20 that offers 20GB for RM20/month. There’s also an unlimited option at RM30/month but do note that the speed is capped at 7Mbps and you’re limited to 9GB of hotspot data.
Yes runs on a pure 4G network and it offers VoLTE nationwide. This also means there are no 3G or 2G network to fall back on if you go out of 4G coverage. According to YTL communications, they have over 90% population coverage and they are expanding its network coverage with its 800MHz spectrum band.
In terms of bands, Yes is currently running on TD-LTE (Band 40) 2300MHz and (Band 38) 2600MHz. You can check if your current device is compatible here.
[ UPDATE 2/1/2021 23:30 ] According to U Mobile’s responses on Twitter, they have solved the network issue. Users who are still unable to connect to the network are urged to restart their devices.
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It appears that U Mobile is having a network issue at the moment which affects a significant number of users. Based on posts on social media, U Mobile subscribers are not able to access voice and data services as they are getting the “no signal” status on their phones.
Hi @osnapitzakmal, we are aware and our team is currently working to rectify the issue, your patience is highly appreciated. Please monitor your network connection from time to time
U Mobile is aware of the problem and they are working to rectify the issue as soon as possible. They advised its users to monitor their connection from time to time. In a separate reply, the orange telco said they expect to resolve the problem in 4 hours.
Hi @waniwahida8, we aware of the issue and our team is currently working in rectifying the issue right now. Your co-operation and is highly appreciated. The estimation time to resolve is 4 hours. For the time being, appreciate if you could monitor the … https://t.co/wZSI4elcMD
It seems that the network problem had started since 4pm, however, not all customers are affected. Some U Mobile users are still able to get connected to the network with no issues.
Are you having issues with U Mobile right now? Let us know in the comments below.
After upgrading its Mega Unlimited postpaid plans a few months back, Celcom is now upgrading its Xpax Lite postpaid plans with more free unlimited data usage. If you subscribe to the XP Lite postpaid plans with the M or L pass, you’ll now get free unlimited data for Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and WeChat on top of its existing unlimited YouTube.
The base XP Lite Postpaid plan retains the same subscription fee of RM28/month which comes with 1GB of data and unlimited calls to all networks. With the M Pass (RM10/month extra), you’ll get extra 7GB of high-speed data and the L Pass (RM30/month extra) gives you extra 15GB of high-speed data.
For the unlimited usage, there’s a speed cap depending on which pass you subscribe. The M Pass allows you to stream YouTube video at SD quality (480p) while the unlimited apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and WeChat) are limited to 3Mbps. Meanwhile, the L Pass lets you stream YouTube at HD quality (720p) and the unlimited apps are capped at a higher 6Mbps.
As an added bonus for staying on with Celcom, you can redeem 1-hour Ultra Hour Pass daily from the 7th month onwards. The Ultra Hour Pass provides unlimited internet and it’s usually offered for RM1 for 1 hour, RM2 for 3 hours, RM5 for 12 hours and RM8 for 24 hours.
According to Celcom, the free unlimited offering is not applicable for hotspot or tethering usage. This means you can only enjoy unlimited data for the selected apps only on your mobile device and any hotspot usage will deduct from your high-speed quota.
To learn more, you can check out the XP Lite postpaid page and refer to their FAQ.
Just in time for the Chinese New Year celebration, Celcom has announced its free 88GB data offer for Xpax prepaid users. On top of that, they are also running a campaign where you can stand a chance to win an iPhone 12 Pro.
For all new Xpax unlimited prepaid users, you can get 88GB of free hotspot data when you subscribe to its weekly (RM12) and monthly (RM35) unlimited plans. Take note that the free 88GB hotspot data is speed capped at 3Mbps and it has a short validity of 48 hours for the weekly pass and 72 hours for the monthly pass. Any unused quota will be forfeited upon expiry. You can learn more about the free 88GB hotspot offer here.
If you’re an existing Xpax user, you’ll get 88GB of high-speed internet quota when you subscribe to a 7-day, 14-day and 30-day internet pass. The free data for existing users is valid for up to 3 days and you can redeem this under the Just4Me section in the Celcom Life app. (Apple AppStore, Google Play Store, Huawei App Gallery).
To be in the running to win an iPhone 12 Pro, all you’ll need to do is to unlock 6 missions in the Celcom Life App. If you complete each mission such as first login or 15 daily logins, you will be awarded with instant rewards such as free internet, free credit and free validity. The free 88GB data and giveaway promo is currently running until the 15th March 2021.
Two phones for RM188
For postpaid users on Celcom MEGA postpaid Family Lines, you can get two smartphones from as low as RM188 on contract. They offer a total of 14 different options including 5G models to choose from which include the Realme 7, Huawei Nova 7 SE, Oppo Reno 5 and Samsung Galaxy A42. You can learn more about the double device combo here.
In conjunction with the Chinese New Year season, TM is offering a special promo for its Unifi Mobile Unlimited postpaid plan where you can enjoy double hotspot data and a chance to win smartphones and eWallet credit. This is offered to those who subscribe to the Unifi Mobile 99 postpaid plan which can be yours at a reduced monthly fee.
The Unifi Mobile 99 plan is originally priced at RM99/month and it includes unlimited calls, SMS and data, plus 10GB of LTE hotspot data. For a limited-time, existing Unifi Home Broadband customers can get the plan at only RM59/month, while non-Unifi customers can sign up for RM79/month. According to the FAQ, the offer comes with no contract.
For the month of January, February and March, they are offering an additional 10GB of hotspot data which gives you a total of 20GB data for your data tethering needs. The hotspot quota will return back to 10GB LTE on the 1st April 2021.
To be in the running to win prizes, just sign up or upgrade your existing Unifi Mobile plan to Unifi Mobile 99 between 8th January to 31st March 2021. TM has a total of 3x Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, 9x Galaxy Note 10+ 512GB and 4x Vivo V17 for its monthly giveaway prizes. The telco also has 36x RM888 Touch ‘n Go eWallet credit up for grabs for its weekly prizes.
For more info, check out the Unifi Mobile promo page.
Maxis has announced that it has delivered 100% of its targets for JENDELA and they are on track with its network improvement initiatives for 2021. Apart from mobile connectivity, the green telco is also expanding its fibre footprint in several states in Peninsular Malaysia.
The telco said that it has built more than 150 new sites and have completed upgrades at over 5,500 sites in key market centres in both Peninsular and East Malaysia. Last year, they have also increased its fibre broadband footprint to cover more than 6,500 premises. It added that it has accelerated network capacity upgrades of more than 35% of the total 16,367 sites in the industry.
To provide better connectivity in rural areas, Maxis says it will leverage on mobile, fibre, WiFi and satellite communication. According to their official statement, Maxis will work closely with the MCMC and other industry players to accelerate rollout and ensure smooth implementation in all states in the country.
The telco gave an example of Kiulu, a small town in Tuaran, Sabah which was recently covered by 4G for the first time. The new tower has provided high-speed 4G coverage for 6 villages, namely Kampung Sinorut, Kampung Gonipis, Pukak, Lokub, Mantob and Kitapol.
As Malaysia targets to shut down 3G by the end of this year, Maxis has activated Voice over LTE (VoLTE) in October 2020. The VoLTE service is available for customers with VoLTE enabled devices on both Hotlink postpaid and Maxis postpaid. Maxis will also be ramping its 4G device campaigns to get more 3G phone users to switch to 4G.
To address connectivity concerns in scarcely populated areas, Maxis says it will accelerate its 4G coverage expansion in rural and underserved areas as part of its USP projects. They aim to upgrade more sites in Perak, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak. When it comes to high-speed fixed broadband access, Maxis says they will roll out more fibre connections in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Penang and Johor, with more focus given in rural and remote areas.
Although 5G deployment has been pushed back until late 2022, Maxis has assured that it is still committed to delivering 5G. It emphasised that it has conducted successful trials and showcased innovative 5G use cases to educate the public and the industry. Maxis is partnering with Huawei for its 5G deployment and optimisation of existing network resources.
The MCMC has recently issued an invite for JENDELA Phase 1 which will cover 1,661 locations throughout Malaysia. The JENDELA project to increase the average wireless broadband speeds to 35Mbps and to increase Malaysia’s 4G coverage to 96.9% by 2022.
Mobile and fixed broadband connectivity has become more crucial during the current pandemic as most people are now working and learning from home. Speedtest has revealed its Global Index for December 2020 which reveals some interesting trends worldwide.
Narrowing down to our ASEAN region, it appears that Malaysia is still struggling behind most of its neighbours when it comes to mobile speeds. However, Malaysia did fare better for fixed broadband with a top 3 position in the region.
For mobile, Singapore leads the pack in the region with an average speed of 66.82Mbps, followed by Thailand with 51.75Mbps and Vietnam with 34.51Mbps. Malaysia ranked #7 at 25.6Mbps, which puts it behind Laos (28.28Mbps) and Myanmar (26.08Mbps).
When it comes to fixed broadband, Thailand is #1 in the region with download speeds of 308.35Mbps, overtaking Singapore which clocked an average speed of 245.31Mbps. Meanwhile, Malaysia takes the #3 spot at 93.67Mbps. On the global scale, both Thailand and Singapore are leaders in the fixed broadband space, beating Hong Kong which is ranked #3 with 226.80Mbps and Romania at 190.60Mbps.
It is obvious that Malaysia has a lot of catching up to do. Its average 25.60Mbps speed for mobile is ranked #87 worldwide, while the average fixed broadband speed of 93.67Mbps is ranked at #44.
As illustrated in the graph below, Malaysians had experienced a significant dip in mobile speeds during the initial phase of the MCO. The trend was also reflected in OpenSignal’s report and it’s clear that several telcos were struggling to cope with the increased demand.
At the moment, the Malaysian government aims to improve the country’s current 4G speed and coverage with the JENDELA plan. Some of its key objectives include increasing 4G coverage from 91.8% to 96.9% and increasing speeds from 25Mbps to 35Mbps by 2022. Apart from mobile, the plan aims to provide 7.5 million premises with access to gigabit fixed broadband access. The increased number of mobile sites as well as fiberisation is meant to serve as a strong foundation before 5G is deployed. The government also aims to shutdown 3G networks by the end of this year to free up valuable spectrum for 4G.
The MCMC has recently sent out invites for JENDELA Phase 1 which will cover a total of 1,661 locations in 106 clusters throughout the country. To address connectivity issues at underserved rural communities, the projects will be funded via the Universal Service Provision (USP) fund.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Chairman Dr Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek has revealed that his team will respond to complaints on poor connectivity within 24 hours. He said this during a live interview with Bernama this afternoon.
Dr Fadhlullah said the MCMC listens to complaints of the people and will try to work with various parties to provide a solution. He acknowledged that not all problems can be solved immediately and they have to manage expectations. Some issues might take a longer time to fix and they would need to inform the people of what is going to be done.
He said people would accept if they know that something is being done but they will be angry if nothing is being done. The MCMC Chairman said his team in every state will be on the ground within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.
The public uses several ways to express their complaints and the MCMC said they do pickup the issues that were raised through social media. Dr Fadhlullah gave the example of Tanah Merah where a father had made a tent on top of a hill so that her daughter can get good signal for online learning. After the situation was reported in the news, MCMC had sent a team to the location within 24 hours.
In less than 3 weeks, Celcom had erected a new tower which provided 4G coverage for the village. The quick deployment was made possible with the cooperation of MCMC and the local authorities to speed up the necessary approvals.
For users who are still having issues, he urged them to make an official complaint through the Aduan SKMM portal. Telcos will be given three days to respond and if they fail to provide a report, they will be penalised for violating the Mandatory Standards of Quality of Service.
(@frhnagotnochill) 
pls pls pls fix it asap 
(@imathoth) 
.. 
