TIME dotCom Berhad has entered into a partnership with Facebook to invest in Internet infrastructure, opening up Malaysia to more connections and international hubs; as well as strengthening connectivity in Southeast Asia.
The network infrastructure project from the partnership is expected to be completed by the end of Q2 2020 but it will be used only to exclusively support Facebook and it’s family of applications. Which kinda sucks.
If you’re wondering why Malaysia, it’s because it’s in the heart of Southeast Asia and is a strategic position as a gateway for the East-West. This make it attractive for foreign investment, and helps with the Malaysia’s digital economy.
“Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to build communities and bring the world closer together. This partnership will allow us to build a faster and more efficient network to better support our family of apps and services,” says Nico Roehrich, Facebook’s Network Investment Manager, APAC.
“We look forward to the prospects that this partnership offers, as it opens the door for Malaysia to establish itself as a regional technology hub,” said Chiew Kok Hin, TIME’s Head of OTT.
“More international connectivity and a robust domestic backbone will attract sizeable investments into Malaysia. It only makes sense for us to capitalise on the strategic location of Malaysia in Southeast Asia, ease of access and relatively lower cost of entry.”
The Malaysian Government is constantly reviewing policies, laws and regulations to adapt to the changing global market landscape. As such, the Ministry of Transport has simplified regulatory approval by revising the current cabotage policy. This means that local and foreign vessels can carry out undersea cable repairs in Malaysia waters without delay.
“The joint effort between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia is in line with the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (“NFCP”) to promote investments in undersea cables and encourage the deployment of landing centres in Malaysia,” said Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
“Malaysia strongly encourages all undersea cables planned for deployment in this region to land in Malaysia to take advantage of the cabotage exemption for undersea cable repairs. With more undersea cables and a faster cable repair approval process in place, Malaysians can enjoy faster and more reliable Internet access to international sites,” Gobind added.
