KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Free WiFi service for the public will be rolled out in 700 post offices nationwide in stages, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari said today.
Jailani said a pilot project is expected to be carried out within two months, adding that the location to test the concept has yet to be decided but will likely be in Sabah.
“We have around 700 post offices, so we are not going to do it simultaneously. We will do it in stages, with the main priority being post offices at rural areas,” he told reporters here, noting that the country already has a broadband penetration rate of over 87 per cent.
The public will be able to conduct online transactions on top of using the usual postage services once the WiFi centres are in place, he said as he envisioned post offices as “one-stop centres”.
“We have 1Malaysia Internet Centres that provide services for the rural community to surf the Internet, with computer facilities also provided.
“But the WiFi service at post offices will be to carry out online transactions,” he added.
He declined to provide estimates for the total cost of the project, explaining instead that the costs could vary based on the location of post offices and their distances from broadcasting towers.
The project will be carried out jointly by Pos Malaysia and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, he said.
When asked if telecommunications companies would be roped in for the free Internet service, Jailani said discussions are expected to be carried out with these firms.
“I believe these companies will be called for negotiations on how to implement this WiFi project,” he said.
