IPOH, Oct 9 — With cheaper internet packages now available, the Perak government said it will upgrade communication infrastructure facilities to boost the state broadband penetration rate statewide.

State Communications, Multimedia, Non-Governmental Organisation and Cooperatives Development committee chairman Hasnul Zulkarnain Abd Munaim said Perak currently has 183,900 subscribers to fixed broadband packages.

“We are planning to upgrade the infrastructure such as adding and extending fibre optic cables in various places throughout the state to support the internet penetration,” he told reporters after launching the Perak World Post Day at the Ipoh Post Centre here.

He said the state is also planning to appoint a few companies to develop its internet facilitates and infrastructure.

“We hope by the end of this year we can appoint these companies to carry out the upgrading work,” he added.

The Pakatan Harapan federal government imposed a Mandatory Standard on Access Pricing on telecommunications companies in June in bid to improve the national broadband penetration rate.

The country’s main telecommunications players, Telekom Malaysia, Maxis, TIME dotCom and Celcom have since offered new monthly price packages for their entry-level broadband services, some cheaper by almost half.