Fast rewind to 2004, when I still lived at Kota Damansara with my uni friends, in one day we decide to subscribe to Streamyx (the only broadband available at that time) as we need more internet connection for email, research and games. To our disappointment the area we live is out of coverage. At that time, we live in middle cost apartment, opposite now Sri KDU school. Across the road is Tropicana,golf club and other high end residential house where Streamyx service has been there for years.

I still study at that time, and lived with our parent money as well as government fund. Not much but just enough to pay rent and pay meals. If you in our situation, what would you think? I personally think that Streamyx is being unfair to low income group! Doesn’t that  low income also deserve the internet connection?

Fast forward to 2010. I’ve been Streamyx user for 4 years now. My parent house which located 17km from nearest town does have Streamyx as well.  Streamyx has expanded almost everywhere in Malaysia, made it accessible to everyone. Thanks to competition…

Beside Streamyx, there are now other internet service providers competing with each other to win the customer. From wired internet broadband, wireless internet broadband to fibre optic broadband, we’re very lucky to have them now. Centered around Klang Valley as the first location to have the coverage, the services has gradually expanded to other major towns.

Celcom Broadband & Maxis Broadband alongside Streamyx are leading the pack. They have the widest coverage in internet broadband as far as I know, as they are also the pioneer.. Then there is P1 Wimax which is quite aggressive in getting their service roll out to customers.

Last week, U Mobile  has expanded their broadband coverage to Johor Bharu from very modest beginning. Same goes to Digi broadband which is now expanding to Ipoh and Kuching.

Digi Broadband Packages

U-Mobile Broadband Packages

All of this is a good sign toward achieving greater internet penetration rate, which currently stood at 36%. At the same time, I do hope the same quality of service is offered regardless geography location. Imagine if only Streamyx tasked to execute this mammoth task? Do you think we’re at this level now? The old memory of Kota Damansara may happen again somewhere else.

Well, I plan to to write about U Mobile and Digi expansion initially, but somehow the old memory is coming back. As you see the post goes lengthy beyond the plan. Lastly, I’d like you to imagine again, how is the life without internet broadband?