The country’s first open access fiber-to-the-home high-speed broadband facility is set to take off here over the next six months, involving 2,000 homes and offices in the initial roll-out.

The government will talk to Telekom Malaysia on how to accommodate a second provider of high speed broadband over fibre optic networks to the home. Telekom Malaysia was awarded the national high-speed broadband network (HSBB) project last year without an open tender. The reason given then was that it was the only company capable of rolling out such a network. A Pahang state-backed company – Jalur Lebar Nasional Sdn Bhd (Jalenas) – had proposed an alternative nationwide fibre optic network last year that was based on open access, but it was rejected. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today signalled a willingness to look at a role for an alternative fibre optic network.

Najib said the government had approved RM12.86 million to the Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) under the second stimulus package for the implementation of MSC Malaysia ICON programme for the rivate sector. This is in line with the government's aspiration to increase the national broadband penetration and generating demand through the enablement of online content. Articles The Star & Bernama & Malaysia Insider