NATIONAL BROADBAND INITIATIVE TO DRIVE TRANSFORMATION, SAYS MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 (Bernama) -- The National Broadband Initiative will
drive the social and economic transformation towards achieving the high-income
nation objective, Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim
said Wednesday.

It will also help the country to become more competitive through innovation,
creativity, high values and free flow of information, Rais said.

"In addition, we want to expand the government's effort in providing
broadband services to the masses, including those staying in the villages," he
said at a briefing for editors on the National Broadband Initiative here
Wednesday.

Rais said that broadband was no longer considered a luxury item but a
necessity.

He said the National Broadband Initiative was a comprehensive strategy with
the High-Speed Broadband (HSBB) project as one of the components.

"HSBB will be implemented in selected areas for economic and business
purposes and another approach is broadband for the public," he said.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will officiate the launch of the
National Broadband Initiative and HSBB at Merdeka Square here on March 24.

Rais said at the launch, the Prime Minister is expected to make several
important announcements related to the progress of HSBB and extension of
broadband services to rural areas, including those in Sabah and Sarawak.

Besides that, the government will review the national spectrum plan to add
value for industries by reducing the cost of broadband services, expanding the
coverage and increasing the speed, the minister said.

The savings in cost will be passed on to consumers, he said.

To expand broadband services to the rural areas, the government will build
more telecommunication towers and community broadband centres, Rais said.

"This is to ensure that people in the rural areas are not left behind in the
major use of information and communications technology (ICT)," he said.

-- BERNAMA