The government is looking into the issue of cellular dead zones on certain stretches of Malaysian highways and will find ways to address this, according to works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
Prompted by frequent complaints from highway users about dropped calls and poor connectivity, he said a special meeting was held to establish solutions to the problem. The discussion involved the ministry as well as communications minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, the Malaysian communications and multimedia commission (MCMC), and the Malaysian hghway authority (LLM).
“To date, approximately 50 km of highways have been identified as not receiving telecommunications coverage, including several sections of the PLUS expressway, West Coast expressway (WCE) and East Coast highway 2 (LPT2),” he said.
He added that the issue could not be taken lightly. “In an all-digital world, access to the internet and telecommunications network is no longer a luxury, but a basic necessity, including when on the highway,” he said.
Key outcomes from the meeting include the formation of a special LLM-MCMC task force, as Bernama reports. According to Nanta, this task force will coordinate an action plan, identify critical drop call zones, and assess the need for additional telecom infrastructure.
Highway concessionaires will also be engaged to implement both short and long-term solutions. Additionally, regional LLM and state MCMC teams will conduct on-site inspections to evaluate power supply facilities for infrastructure upgrades.
Nanta also proposed MCMC’s direct involvement in resolving frequency disruptions and supporting the multi-lane free flow (MLFF) system, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment in solving the issue. “Our commitment is clear, not only to build roads, but also to ensure that the people are always connected smoothly and safely,” he said.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
When you have a scandalous project by previous government that is elephant in the room and the telecommunication companies are forced take over an empty shell company like DNB, from where you are going to find the resources to build more complete network? Per customer revenue in Malaysia for telecommunication companies is very low and add this bullshit corrupted DNB that being forced onto them, I’m not sure where these companies can get more resources to build more towers.
This data only reflects conditions in West Malaysia. If the Pan Borneo Highway were included, the extent of poor telecommunications coverage would be even more significant. As a Sarawakian, it’s disappointing that Nanta Linggi appears unaware of the challenges in his own region. In fact, many areas in his constituency still lag far behind—yet he continues to receive strong voter support.