PETALING JAYA: Consumers are not convinced by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil’s announcement that telcos are no longer imposing additional charges for 5G.
On X (formerly Twitter), a number of users claimed they were still required to pay extra to access 5G.
One user shared a screenshot of getting charged an additional RM10 per month for a 5G booster, while another user said it would cost an extra RM3 just to access 5G.
In response, Fahmi told them to check with their respective telcos and tagged the companies in his replies.
Based on checks by LifestyleTech, 5G offerings by telcos may vary based on the user’s current plan.
Maxis is offering a 5G Access Pass at no additional cost for eligible subscribers, where they can experience 5G with their existing rate plan quota.
The company has also introduced new postpaid plans with free additional 5G-only data, starting from RM79 monthly for 80GB (4G/5G data) and 80GB (5G-only).
While Celcom offers the 5G booster for free to Mega 80, 98, 128, 158 and 188 customers, its website says that customers on lower-priced plans such as Xpax Postpaid 40 and 60 are required to pay an additional RM20 and RM10, respectively.
Celcom prepaid customers on the RM25 to RM40 monthly plan can purchase 5G boosters priced from RM3 to RM12.
The Xpax Prepaid 5G with 75GB of data is available for RM48.
Digi customers on Postpaid 40 can get a 5G booster for an additional RM20 monthly with 30GB of data, while Postpaid 60 subscribers can purchase the 5G booster for RM10 monthly, which comes with 60GB.
For Digi prepaid customers, access to 5G is available through a 5G booster pass, which starts at RM3 with a one-day validity. The 5G pass also comes with a 100Mbps speed cap.
For Yoodo consumers, its frequently asked questions (FAQ) section states that they need to purchase a high-speed data plan starting at RM12 for 2GB of data to experience 5G.
However, 5G appears to not be available for users on the unlimited data plan, which starts at RM35 per month.
In a press conference on Jan 9, Fahmi said the government will monitor the situation to ensure consumers do not have to pay more for 5G.
He said that mobile network operators had promised their commitment to the matter. Fahmi also encouraged users to sign up for 5G.
He said that the number of 5G subscriptions as of Nov 2023 was 4.6 million, or a penetration rate of 13.7%.
