Tag Archives: Telecommunications

Maxis Rushes Out Broadband Deals – Too Little, Too Late!

Maxis just rushed out its own broadband deals, and is offering a free speed upgrade for existing customers! Find out why it’s really too little, too late.

New Maxis Home Broadband Deals In October 2023!

In early October 2023, Unifi announced that all broadband customers will receive a free upgrade of their Internet speeds – up to 3X their current speeds!

Weeks later – on 27 October 2023, Maxis belatedly announces new 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps broadband packages, as well as its own broadband deals to fight back. Unfortunately, they are pretty much too little, too late.

On top of introducing the new 1 Gbps and 2 Gbps (overkill) packages, Maxis announced RM10 discounts for their cheaper broadband packages.

Broadband Speed	Old Price	New Price	Promo Price *
2 Gbps (New)	NA	RM 319	NA
1 Gbps (New)	NA	RM 249	Free Max Wifi
500 Mbps	RM 159	RM 159	RM 149
300 Mbps	RM 149	RM 139	RM 129
100 Mbps	RM 129	RM 99	RM 89

* Only for new subscribers, and applicable to the first 24 months.

However, the pitiful RM10 discount is limited to new subscribers, and even then, only for the first 24 months! After that, the price goes back to the “New Price” list above.

This is quite unlike Digi or Unifi, whose prices are not limited to the first 24 months:

Broadband Speed	Maxis	Unifi *	Digi
2 Gbps	RM 319	RM 289	NA
1 Gbps	RM 249	RM 159	RM 269
500 Mbps	RM 149 x 24 Then RM 159	RM 139	RM 149
300 Mbps	RM 129 x 24 Then RM 139	RM 129	Free 6 months Then RM 129
100 Mbps	RM 89 x 24 Then RM 99	RM 89	RM 89

* After free speed upgrade

If you are an existing customer, Maxis has announced a free speed upgrade for customers on 100 Mbps or faster packages. However, details on this free upgrade – how much faster, and when they kick in – are only coming in November 2023.

New Maxis Business Broadband Deals In October 2023!

Maxis also announced a new 1 Gbps business broadband package, but curiously did not offer a 2 Gbps package for business users. You would think that a business would need a 2 Gbps package more than home users, right?

In any case, Maxis is offering slightly better discounts on its business broadband packages. However, you must be a new subscriber, and you must register by 30 November 2023!

If you are an existing customer – too bad, so sad. Unlike Home Fibre customers, Maxis did not announce any free speed upgrade for their Business Broadband customers. It appears that the only way to get an upgrade and save money is probably to migrate to a different provider…

Broadband Speed	Old Price	New Price	Promo Price *
1 Gbps (New)	RM 189 (early bird)	RM 299	NA
500 Mbps	RM 269	RM 219	RM 199
300 Mbps	RM 149	RM 179	RM 139
100 Mbps	RM 139	RM 119	RM 99

* Only for new subscribers who register by 30 November 2023

That said – a quick check on their April prices show that Maxis was actually offering cheaper prices back then!

The 1 Gbps package was only RM189 – RM110 less than their “new price”, while the 300 Mbps package was only RM149 – RM30 less than their new price, and just RM10 more than their October-November 2023 promo price.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Can Scammers Hack Your Phone If You Call Back?!

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Can scammers hack your phone if you answer their calls, or call back?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Scammers Can Hack Your Phone If You Call Back!

People are sharing this advice about scammers hacking your phone if you answer their calls, or call back!

Very Very Urgent …

Please pass this message to your family and friends NOW.

People have been receiving calls from
Tel: +375602605281
Tel: +37127913091
Tel: +37178565072
Tel: +56322553736
Tel: +37052529259
Tel: +255901130460
or any number starting from +371 +375 +381

These guys only ring once and hang up.
If you call back,they can copy your contact list in 3sec and if you have a bank or credit card details on your phone, they can copy that too…

+375 code is for Belarus.
+371 code is for Lativa.
+381 Serbia.
+563 Valparaiso.
+370 Vilnius.
+255 Tanzania.

Don’t answer or Call back.

Also, Don’t Press
#90 or #09
on your Mobile when asked by any caller.

It’s a new trick which is use to access your SIM card, make calls at your expense and frame you as a criminal.

URGENTLY FORWARD this message to as many friends as you can to stop any intrusion!!

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Truth : Scammers Cannot Hack Your Phone If You Call Back!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are reasons why…

Fact #1 : This Is Old Fake News

First, let me just point out that this fake message isn’t even new. It has been circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms since April 2020, if not earlier.

Fact #2 : This Hoax Is Based On One Ring / Wangiri Scam

This hoax appears to be based on the 2019 FCC warning about the “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam, where scammers use robocall devices to give victims a miss call, in hopes that they would call back and get charged for Pay-Per-Call services.

The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers to reported waves of “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam robocalls targeting specific area codes in bursts, often calling multiple times in the middle of the night. These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number. Consumers should not call these numbers back.

Recent reports indicate these calls are using the “222” country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. News reports have indicated widespread overnight calling in New York State and Arizona.

Generally, the One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer.

Consumer Tips: · Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas. · File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls: www.fcc.gov/complaints · If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls. · Check your phone bill for charges you don’t recognize.

This scam, however, does not involve hacking any phone. It only requires you to call back the number, which is a Pay-Per-Call service.

Once you call back, you will get charged a premium rate, as the scammers try to keep you on the line for as long as possible.

Fact #3 : Scammers Cannot Hack Phone Through Calls

It is simply not possible to hack your phone through a voice call, even if you’re using VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), or apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.

What is possible though is voice phishing, also known as vishing. This is a form of social engineering, where scammers pose as a bank or police officer (or someone with authority) to obtain your bank account information, or trick you into transferring money into their bank accounts.

Fact #4 : 90# Telephone Scam Only Works With PBX / PABX

The #90 or 90# scam is a very old phone scam that only works on business landline phones that use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) or PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange) system. Here is the official US FCC warning about this scam.

In this very old scam, the scammer pretends to be a telco employee looking into a technical problem with your phone lines, and asks you to help him by either mailing 90# or transferring the call to an outside line. If you do that, you will enable the scammer to place premium-rate calls that will billed to your phone number.

To be clear – these codes do NOT work on mobile phones or smartphones, because they do not run on PBX or PABX systems.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Can SIM swap attack empty bank account without warning?!

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Can a SIM swap attack empty your bank account without warning?! Take a look at the viral warnings, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-10-07 : Added new viral message, and other updates.
Originally posted @ 2022-01-16

Claim : SIM Swap Attack Can Empty Bank Account Without Warning!

This message has gone viral on social media and WhatsApp, warning about a new high tech fraud called SIM Swap Fraud that can empty bank accounts without warning.

The message includes a link to a Straits Times report about a young couple who lost $120,000 in a fake text message scam targeting OCBC Bank customers.

Your BANK Account could be Emptied without an Alert!

Dear All, Please let’s be very careful.. There is a new HIGH TECH FRAUD in town called the SIM SWAP FRAUD, and hundreds of persons are already VICTIMS.

How does it work?
1 A new fraud called SIM SWAP has started. Your phone network will momentarily go blind / zero (No Signal / Zero Bars) and after a while a call will come through.

2 The Person on the other end of the call will tell you that he is calling from (your cell phone company) depending on your network and that there is a problem in your mobile network.

3 He will instruct you to Please press 1 on your phone to get the network back.

– Please at this stage don’t Press anything, Just cut or END the call.

If you press 1, the network will appear suddenly and almost immediately go blind again (Zero Bars) and by that action, your phone is #HACKED.

Within a second they will empty your bank account, and you won’t receive any alert.

What you will experience.
It will appear as though your line is without Network, meanwhile your SIM has been SWAPPED.
The danger here is that, you will not get any alert of any transactions, so please those of us doing USSD Banking and Mobile Banking BEWARE. Let’s be very careful.

Please, forward to your contacts, loved ones and friends. The fraud is increasing day by day.

Received from a #CybersecurityGroup

Don’t forget to share this post…… I repeat don’t forget to share this post. Many people’s Account as been emptied!

Please encourage more people to learn from this episode

Show less

Here is a new variant circulating in 2023:

My cousin received a call , asking if he had been vaccinated, if vaccinated to press 1.

If not vaccinated, press 2. As a result, he pressed 1, the phone was blocked and his online bank information/account were all transferred. Please be Alert and Careful and forward to more people to know about this new trick/scam. Forwarded as received.

Your BANK Account can be Empty without Notice.

There is a HIGH TECHNOLOGY SCAM going on at this time called SIM SWAP FRAUD, it is said that hundreds of people have been affected, they suddenly found that their bank accounts were EMPTY

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Truth : SIM Swap Attack Is Real, But Don’t Work Like That

The truth is – SIM swap attacks are real and very dangerous, but they do not work like the viral messages claim.

Here is what you need to know about the viral message, and SIM swap attacks.

Fact #1 : SIM Swap Attacks Are Not New

SIM swap attacks are really not new. Scammers have been using SIM swap attacks since 2015, if not earlier.

Fact #2 : SIM Swap Warnings Are Mostly False

The viral message is correct about the risk of SIM swap attacks, but pretty much wrong about everything else.

In fact, the method by which the SIM swap attack works is completely made up. So the viral message is really FAKE NEWS.

There’s no way your bank account will be emptied without any action on your part. Neither will your bank accounts be emptied because you participate in a COVID-19 vaccination SMS survey.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Of Such Fraud

There is no evidence of SIM swap attacks requiring users to complete the process by responding to an SMS survey about vaccination.

Neither is there any evidence that SIM swap attacks alone can lead to your bank accounts being emptied.

Fact #4 : Straits Times Article Was Not About SIM Swap Attack

One of the viral messages include a link to a Straits Time article to mislead you. That’s because the article was about a phishing attack, not a SIM swap attack.

In that phishing attack, the victim received an SMS with a link that took him to a fake website that “looked exactly like the OCBC login page“. He then keyed in his bank login details, thus handing over control of his bank account to the scammers.

The victim also ignored automated messages warning him that his “account was being setup on another phone“. That had nothing to do with a SIM swap attack. It was an SMS-based phishing attack.

Fact #5 : SIM Swap Attacks Generally Do Not Require Any Action

In most SIM swap attacks, scammers use your personal information, either purchased from other criminals or obtained through earlier phishing attacks or social engineering, to request for a SIM card replacement.

All that does not require any action on your part. In most cases, you only realise you’ve been hit when you lose access to your mobile number.

Fact #6 : SIM Swap Attack May Require Action In Some Cases

The Press 1 claim in the viral message is partially correct, but it only happens in a particular circumstance.

In India, scammers have tricked people by offering a free network upgrade, or to help improve signal quality on their phones :

The scammer will call the victim, claiming to be from their mobile service provider.
The scammer will try to get the victim to reveal his/her 20-digit SIM card number.
The scammer will use the 20-digit SIM number to initiate a SIM swap with the mobile service provider.
The mobile service provider will automatically send an SMS to confirm the swap.
Once the victim confirms the swap, his/her SIM card will stop working.
The scammer now has access to the victim’s mobile number.

Fact #7 : SIM Swap Attack Does Not Hack Your Phone

The SIM swap attack does not involve any hacking of your phone.

You only lose access to your mobile number. Your phone is not hacked.

Fact #8 : SIM Swap Attack Does Not Empty Bank Accounts

Once the scammers successfully gain control of your mobile number, they can use it to intercept one-time passwords (OTP) like TAC numbers.

This allows them to change passwords to your bank accounts, social media accounts, etc. which is why SIM swap attacks are so dangerous and damaging.

However, it does not mean your bank accounts are immediately emptied. For one thing – the scammers need to know your bank login.

That’s why SIM swap victims often have had their bank logins and passwords stolen earlier though phishing attacks. The scammers only need their mobile numbers to receive OTP / TAC numbers to authenticate the transfers.

Fact #9 : SIM Swap Attack Can Be Used To Cheat Friends Too!

Stealing money from your bank account requires extra work, so scammers who do not have your bank login details will resort to cheating your friends.

With access to your phone number, they can easily gain access to your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) as well as instant messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram).

Once they have control, they can send messages to your friends, pretending to be you. Naturally, they will concoct some story to ask your friends for money.

The idea is to use your (now) stolen accounts to convince your friends that you genuinely need their help. The money that they transfer goes directly to the scammers, or their mules (people who rent their bank accounts to scammers).

Now that you know the facts behind the SIM swap attack or scam, please SHARE this article with your family and friends!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How To Get Special Deals On Maxis Mobile + Broadband!

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If you want the very best mobile + broadband deals from Maxis, there is only one way – you must first quit Maxis! Here is how it worked for me…

Don’t Bother Asking For Special Deals On Maxis Mobile / Broadband!

I have been a loyal Maxis customer for many years, and every time my contract comes up for renewal, I will ask for special deals to stay on. The most I will get is a free smartphone to renew my contract for another 2 years.

But finally, I had enough. I was stuck with 0-1 bar of mobile connectivity from March until September 2023, and Maxis wouldn’t even compensate me for the poor reception. So I gritted my teeth and waited out my contract.

Once my contract expired, I quickly decided that I would save over RM1,900 per year migrating to Digi. But out of (misplaced?) loyalty to Maxis, I called their customer care hotline, and even went to a Maxis Center to check if there are any deals for me to stay on.

As usual, Maxis had nothing to offer me as a loyal customer. But there was a surprise for me this year – I will not be receiving a free smartphone to continue my contract, unless I choose to upgrade to the new Maxis 5G plans… with an increase, of course!

So learn from my experience – don’t bother asking Maxis for any special deals to stay on as a loyal customer. To be fair, other telcos likely don’t offer deals to loyal customers to stay on as well. But I have only been a Maxis customer, and can only speak from my own experience.

How To Get Special Deals On Maxis Mobile + Broadband!

I discovered that the only way that Maxis will ever offer me any special deals to stay on, is if I actually quit their service. And even then, Maxis only did it at the very cusp of my migration process.

When Maxis was ready to hand over my five mobile numbers to Digi, a member of their retention department called me and offered these great deals to stay on.

Existing Maxis 4G Package : RM423 Per Month

First, I should point out that my existing Maxis package bundled a RM98 principal line with four supplementary lines, and 100 Mbps fibre broadband. By bundling with broadband, my principal line has unlimited data, albeit only on the 4G network. There is no 5G connectivity.

However, Maxis only allows a single Share 48 supplementary line with 30 GB of data for the RM98 principal line. So I have to pay a ridiculous RM38 for the remaining three supplementary lines, with just 1 GB of data.

The total pre-tax cost was RM399 per month, or RM4,788 per year.

Maxis 4G Plans	4G Data	Cost
Postpaid 98	Unlimited	RM 98
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
100 Mbps Fibre	Unlimited	RM 139
Total Before Tax	–	RM 399

300 Mbps Broadband Offer : RM100 Per Month

First, Maxis agreed to match Digi’s offer of just RM100 per month for 300 Mbps. That’s RM39 (28%) cheaper than my current 100 Mbps plan, and RM49 (33%) off their current 300 Mbps plan.

Over two years, I will save RM1,176! But I was only getting this special offer because I was really quitting Maxis.

Bundled Broadband	Maxis Normal	Maxis Special	Digi
100 Mbps	RM 129	RM 90	RM 90
300 Mbps	RM 149	RM 100	RM 100

Special Maxis 5G Offer #1 : RM245 Per Month

For the five mobile lines, Maxis offered me a RM245 plan, which would give every user 120 GB of 5G data per month.

There is a 2-year contract, but Maxis will throw in five free smartphones – a Vivo Y36 (8 GB + 256 GB) or equivalent per account.

Not only does that give all of us a heck of a lot of mobile data, and a new smartphone per person, it is also RM15 cheaper than my current package!

Maxis 5G Plans	5G Data	Cost
Special Postpaid 49	120 GB	RM 49
Special Postpaid 49	120 GB	RM 49
Special Postpaid 49	120 GB	RM 49
Special Postpaid 49	120 GB	RM 49
Special Postpaid 49	120 GB	RM 49
Total Before Tax	–	RM 245

Special Maxis 5G Offer #2 : RM281 Per Month

Maxis also offered me a more expensive RM281 monthly plan, consisting of a principal line with 300 GB of data, and four supplementary lines with 50 GB of data.

It would come with a more expensive HONOR 90 smartphone with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage, with a 2-year contract.

I should point out that the supplementary lines are not only RM10 cheaper, they come with 50X more data, and 5G connectivity!!! Makes you want to tear your hair out, doesn’t it?

Maxis 5G Plans	5G Data	Cost
Special Postpaid 169	300 GB	RM 169
Special Postpaid 28	50 GB	RM 28
Special Postpaid 28	50 GB	RM 28
Special Postpaid 28	50 GB	RM 28
Special Postpaid 28	50 GB	RM 28
Total Before Tax	–	RM 281

Special Maxis 4G Offer : Only RM200 Per Month!

If I prefer to stick with 4G connectivity only, Maxis offered me a 4G-only plan for just RM200 a month, without contract or free smartphone.

Basically, my supplementary lines would now get a ton of data, and I would save RM60 per month on my existing Maxis package!

Maxis 4G Plans	4G Data	Cost
Special Postpaid 48	70 GB	RM 48
Special Postpaid 48	70 GB	RM 48
Special Postpaid 48	70 GB	RM 48
Special Postpaid 28	50 GB	RM 28
Special Postpaid 28	50 GB	RM 28
Total Before Tax	–	RM 200

Why I Declined The Special Deals On Maxis Mobile + Broadband!

While the special deals offered by the Maxis retention department were enticing – free phones! more data! more speed! – Digi still offered a substantially better deal.

My parents, for example, do not need 50 GB of data. They just needed something more reasonable than 1 GB, and I wanted to pay a more reasonable price for their lines.

On top of that, staying with Maxis would not solve my biggest problem – poor connectivity. I have been suffering from poor reception for six months (and counting), and sticking with Maxis for another 2 years was unthinkable.

Maxis may have once been known for having “better coverage” than other telcos. But if they cannot restore proper connectivity after 6 months (and counting), it’s time to move on. I also did not like the fact that they refused to compensate me for the poor connectivity all those months.

But this article is not about dissing Maxis. I wrote this article to share with you the best way to get such special deals from Maxis.

I called them, I even spent time at the Maxis Centre to talk to the staff. There was simply NO special deal or offer for an existing customer. You must literally quit Maxis – sign an agreement to port out to another telco, and be on the verge of switching, before Maxis will ever offer you these special deals.

Even if you want to stick with Maxis, you should still quit and port out to another telco at the end of your contract. This way, you will get access to these special deals. You will only lose out if you stay loyal.

As for me, I bid adieu to Maxis, and started my journey with Digi hours later. It was easy. You should give it a try!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Recommended Reading

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Switching From Maxis To Digi Saves Me RM1.9K / Year!

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I just saved over RM1,900 per year by simply switching from Maxis to Digi! Here is what happened!

Switching From Maxis To Digi Saved Me RM1.9K / Year!

My contract with Maxis just expired, and I decided to see if it was worth renewing with them, or switching to Digi. I had earlier asked my neighbours using Digi, and most of them seemed happy with their service.

So I compared the latest mobile and broadband packages from both Maxis and Digi, and I was shocked by how much cheaper Digi was, compared to Maxis. Take a look at what I found!

Existing Maxis 4G Package : RM423 Per Month

My existing Maxis package bundled a RM98 principal line with four supplementary lines, and 100 Mbps fibre broadband. By bundling with broadband, my principal line has unlimited data, albeit only on the 4G network. There is no 5G connectivity.

The total cost was RM423 per month, or RM5,075.28 per year. Maxis offered to let me continue with this 4G-only package, but I would no longer get any free smartphone for a 2 year contract.

Maxis 4G Plans	4G Data	Cost
Postpaid 98	Unlimited	RM 98
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
4G Backup	Unlimited	RM 0
100 Mbps Fibre	Unlimited	RM 139
Total Before Tax	–	RM 399
6% Service Tax	–	RM 23.94
TOTAL PAYABLE	–	RM 422.94

New Maxis 5G Package : RM445 Per Month

If I wanted a free smartphone with a 2 year contract, I would need to upgrade to the new Maxis 5G plans. The existing RM98 4G plan has been replaced by a new RM109 5G plan – a RM 11 per month premium for 5G connectivity.

From what I understand, tying it with Maxis fibre broadband would still get me unlimited mobile data, but only on 4G. The 5G data is limited to 150 GB, which is more than plenty especially since 5G connectivity is limited.

What I cannot understand is why Maxis continues to limit this RM109 principal line to just one RM48 Share line. If I want all four supplementary lines to have more than 1 GB of data, I would need to upgrade my principal line to their RM199 plan! Ridiculous!

The only good news is they dropped the price of their 100 Mbps broadband from RM139 to RM129. But it makes more sense to upgrade to 300 Mbps for just RM149 per month. Even so, the new Maxis package works out to an unpalatable RM572.40 per month, or RM6,868.80 per year!

Maxis 5G Plans	5G Data	Cost
Postpaid 199	4G : Unlimited 5G : 300 GB	RM 199
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
4G Backup	Unlimited	RM 0
300 Mbps Fibre	Unlimited	RM 149
Total Before Tax	–	RM 540
6% Service Tax	–	RM 32.40
TOTAL PAYABLE	–	RM 572.40

Sorry, mum and dad, you guys are just going to have to put up with just 1 GB of data if we stick with Maxis.

With their sacrifice, I can get by with just paying Maxis RM445.20 per month, or RM5,342.40 per year. That’s a small 5% increase of RM267.12 per year.

This new package would also get me one of these smartphones with a 24-month contract:

Samsung A14
vivo A78
HONOR 90 Lite

Maxis 5G Plans	5G Data	Cost
Postpaid 109	4G : Unlimited 5G : 150 GB	RM 109
Postpaid Share 48	30 GB	RM 48
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
Talk and Surf 1	1 GB	RM 38
4G Backup	Unlimited	RM 0
300 Mbps Fibre	Unlimited	RM 149
Total Before Tax	–	RM 420
6% Service Tax	–	RM 25.20
TOTAL PAYABLE	–	RM 445.20

Digi 5G + 4G Package : Only RM286 Per Month!

But when I checked out the Digi plans, they completely wipe out Maxis.

The Digi RM90 principal line offers free 5G connectivity, with 60 GB of data per month. Unlike Maxis, tying up with Digi Fibre Broadband does not give me unlimited mobile data, but that’s okay – 60 GB is plenty.

More importantly, Digi lets me add up to six supplementary family lines, and their cheapest RM20 family line comes with 10 GB of data per month! That goes up to 15 GB with a 1-year contract, and 25 GB with a 2-year contract!

On top of that – Digi offers 300 Mbps fibre broadband for only RM 100 per month! Granted – there is no 4G backup, but that’s RM49 cheaper than Maxis! Would you pay RM49 per month for “4G backup”? Heck, no!

The Digi package is a mix of 4G and 5G, but that’s okay, because my parents no longer have to worry about how much data they have left.

Digi Plans	Data	Cost
Postpaid 90	5G : 60 GB	RM 90
Postpaid Family 20	4G : 25 GB	RM 20
Postpaid Family 20	4G : 25 GB	RM 20
Postpaid Family 20	4G : 25 GB	RM 20
Postpaid Family 20	4G : 25 GB	RM 20
4G Backup	NA	NA
300 Mbps Fibre	Unlimited	RM 100
Total Before Tax	–	RM 270
6% Service Tax	–	RM 16.20
TOTAL PAYABLE	–	RM 286.20

And here is the cherry on the top – for a 24-month contract, Digi gives you one of these two bonuses:

a free smartphone worth up to RM1,099 (HONOR 9o Lite / Samsung A14), or
extra 60 GB of mobile data, or
unlimited social media data, or
5 GB of international roaming data in 70 countries

Needless to say, this Digi package is a much better deal, as it only costs RM286 per month, or RM3,434.40 per year!

How Much I Save Over 2 Years Switching From Maxis To Digi

In the end, I switched to the Digi Postpaid 90 principal line, and gave all of my supplementary lines a decent 25 GB of mobile data.

Over a standard two-year contract, I will end up saving RM 3,281.76, and get a free smartphone worth RM 1,099. That’s a total saving of RM 4,380.76! Just think of what you can do with all that money!

If I renewed with Maxis, I would have upgraded to their new 5G plan to get that free smartphone and unlimited data. However, my parents would have to continue suffering with 1 GB of data, and I would have to pay an additional RM 3,816 over 2 years compared to Digi!

If I wanted my parents to have a decent amount of mobile data, I would have to really pay Maxis through my nose, and fork out an extra RM 6,868.80 – exactly twice of what the Digi package costs. It just doesn’t make sense to do that.

No matter how I calculate, it just doesn’t make sense (sen?) to stick with Maxis. I will save anywhere from RM1,900 to RM3,400 per year switching to Digi. It really pays to shop around!

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Malaysia To Ban SMS With Personal Details!

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Telcos in Malaysia will soon ban SMS messages with personal information, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysia To Ban SMS With Personal Details!

On Sunday, 2 July 2023, four Malaysian telcos – Maxis, Celcom, Digital and U Mobile will ban SMS messages containing personal information , as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams.

In addition to the May ban of SMS links, both local and international users will be prevented from sending any SMS message containing:

personal details
mobile or fixed line phone number
banking details like account number
MyKad number

All SMS messages containing these forbidden items will not be blocked, but their senders won’t be charged for those blocked messages.

No Ban For SMS With Personal Details Via Short Codes

It should be noted that this ban on SMS messages with personal details do NOT apply to businesses using legitimate Enterprise short codes. They will still be allowed to issue SMS messages with URLs (links), phone numbers, and personal details.

Here are the current Enterprise short codes for Celcom and DIGI, from which you “may” continue to receive SMS messages with hyperlinks (URLs) and personal information.

Telco	Enterprise Short Codes
Celcom	CelcomDigi / EASYRELOAD Celcom / CELCOM 2000 / 2901 / 20000 / 78888 28888 / 28882 / 22288 / 28282 / 22888 2001 / 22002 / 22009 / 21888 / 22022 / 22033 / 22162 / 22244 / 22262 / 22990 / 23000 / 23222 / 23777 / 25000 / 25555 / 26664 / 26668 / 26674 / 26680 / 26699 / 27100 / 27200 / 27999 / 28000 / 29888 / 29992 / 29999 / 39131 / 39140 / 39146 / 39170 / 39172 / 39230 / 39231 / 39240 / 39254 / 39258 / 39281 / 39291 / 39442 / 39466 / 39470 / 39471 / 39496 / 39504 / 39505 / 39506 / 39509 / 39513 / 39514 / 39515 / 39518 / 39881 / 39437 / 39132 / 39133 / 39144 / 39162 / 39177 / 39498 / 39502 / 39511 / 39512 / 39495
Digi	CelcomDigi / Digi / DigiRewards 200 / 2901 / 2691 / 5001 / 27676 20000 / 21000 / 28879 / 28888 / 28882 / 22288 / 28282 / 22888

Maxis has 5-digit short codes like 1XXXX, 2XXXX, and 6XXXX, but has chosen to block SMS messages containing personal information from their Enterprise short codes:

In order to prevent individuals from becoming online scam scams, the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued a directive to all telcos on 14 February 2023 to block sending and receiving of short messaging service (SMS) from local, international mobile numbers and applications containing below contents:

URL link and any clickable link e.g. shorten URL; shorten URL;
Request for user’s personal information e.g name, IC number, account number and
Mobile and fixed line number

Blockings are being implemented in stages; started from 2 May 2023 for SMS between individuals; the next and last stage is the blocking of SMS containing the above 3 elements from mobile and applications such as Enterprise SMS service and Maxis IoT SIM from 2 July 2023.

Risky SMS Ban Helpful, But Other Platforms Still A Risk

While this measure is really helpful in reducing scams, the ban is limited to SMS messages. It does not prevent scammers from sending similar scam messages through instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.

I should also point out that links are not inherently bad. Links in messages, even SMS messages, are mostly safe.

Perfectly Fine

Clicking on a link to read an article / terms and conditions of a promotion
Clicking on a link to enrol in a promotion which does not require you to log into any website
Clicking on a link to check in for a flight, or get a travel update

However, they can be used to send you to a phishing website which is designed to look like a genuine bank / payment website. Hence, it is critical that you should NEVER log into any website through a link.

NEVER DO THIS

Clicking on a link to log into a bank website
Clicking on a link to make a purchase or payment
Clicking on a link to log into any account / email

Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.

If you click on a link, and you are asked to login – this is likely a phishing attack. But don’t worry – as long as you refuse to log into any website after clicking on a link, the phishing attack fails.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Malaysian Telcos Ban SMS Links To Prevent Scams!

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Malaysian telcos have started banning SMS links, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysian Telcos Ban SMS Links To Prevent Scams!

On Tuesday, 2 May 2023, four Malaysian telcos – Maxis, Celcom, Digital and U Mobile started banning SMS links, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams.

From this day onwards, users will be blocked from sending or receiving SMS with a link. MCMC had earlier issued the directive to all telcos on February 14, 2023, but the ban on SMS links is only now being implemented.

The ban on SMS links is currently not mandatory for all telcos, and is being implemented in phases. Currently, the ban is limited to SMS between individuals.

Businesses using short codes like 6XXXX, 2XXXX and 1XXXX will eventually be banned from including a URL link in their SMS messages. They will be given time to switch to other methods to send promotional messages with links to their customers.

The MCMC has issued a directive to all telcos to block sending and receiving of SMS with URL link. The objective is to prevent users from becoming victims of online scams

MCMC issued the directive to all service providers on Feb 14 and is currently assessing the progress. For now, the block is still not mandatory.

The blocking of person-to-person SMS with URL links will take effect from 2 May 2023. For SMS sent by business via short codes such as 6XXXX, 2XXXX and 1XXXX, this will be done later and specific notification to business users will be sent.

Malaysia Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said in February 2023 that blocking such SMS links will ensure that people won’t click on them and possibly end up as a scam victim.

Only SMS Links Banned, Links Via Other Platforms Still A Risk

While this measure is really helpful in reducing scams, the ban is limited to SMS links. Scammers can still send links through instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.

That does not mean that links are inherently bad. Links in messages, even SMS messages, are mostly safe.

Perfectly Fine

Clicking on a link to read an article / terms and conditions of a promotion
Clicking on a link to enrol in a promotion which does not require you to log into any website
Clicking on a link to check in for a flight, or get a travel update

NEVER DO THIS

Clicking on a link to log into a bank website
Clicking on a link to make a purchase or payment
Clicking on a link to log into any account / email

Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Is FIFA Giving Free 50GB Data For World Cup 2022?!

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Is FIFA offering 50 GB of free mobile data to stream World Cup 2022 matches with no interruptions?!

Take a look at the viral offers, and find out why they are just scams!

Claim : FIFA Is Giving Free 50GB Data For World Cup 2022!

People are sharing viral offers for 50 GB of free mobile data to stream World Cup 2022 matches without interruption. Here are some examples :

* FIFA is giving people around the world 50GB of data for free to watch the 2022 Cartel [Qatar] World Cup.*
* I Have Received Mine.*
* OPEN THIS*

* FIFA memberi orang di seluruh dunia 50GB data secara percuma untuk menonton Piala Dunia Kartel [Qatar] 2022.*
* Saya Telah Menerima Milik Saya.*
* BUKA INI*

FREE 50GB DATA PLAN FOR ALL NETWORKS

PERCUMA PELAN DATA 50GB UNTUK SEMUA RANGKAIAN

Truth : FIFA Is Not Giving 50GB Free Data For World Cup 2022!

This is yet another SCAM circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why you must avoid it!

Fact #1 : FIFA Is Not Offering Free Mobile Data

First, let me just say it out loud and clear – FIFA is not offering free mobile data anywhere in the world, just to watch World Cup 2022 matches.

FIFA makes its money through sale of television, marketing and licensing rights for World Cup 2022, so there is simply no reason for it to provide free mobile data to stream the matches.

Fact #2 : FIFA Would Never Give You Anything Free

Please do NOT be naive. No one is going to give you free data just to participate in a survey!

FIFA is a corporation whose business is to make money, not a charity to give you free data.

Fact #3 : They Do Not Use Official FIFA Domains

Genuine FIFA promotions would be announced on the official website at www.fifa.com, or their official social media accounts:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/fifaworldcup/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/fifacom
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/fifaworldcup/

They would never run contests or promotions via dodgy domains like “subsidy.buzz”, “50g.kxoe1.xyz”, “50gb450.xyz”, or “zlqxt.top”.

Once you see those random domains, click delete. Or just ignore. DO NOT CLICK.

Fact #4 : They Are Advertisement Scams

After you click on the link, you will be redirected through a series of hidden advertisements before you arrive at the “offer page”.

The offer page will ask you a series of simple questions. Regardless of your answers, you will be congratulated and told you won the 50 GB free data plan for three months.

You will be asked to key in your mobile number to receive the free mobile data, but you will never receive anything. In one variant, you are even redirected to more advertisements, including a video advertisement.

Fact #5 : Brands Won’t Ask You To Forward The Contest

To get that free 50 GB data for three months, you are asked to share the “contest” with 12 friends or groups on WhatsApp.

That’s a clear sign of a scam. No brand will insist that you must share their contest or free offer with WhatsApp friends of groups.

Please do not click to forward their offer to your family and friends. They will not appreciate being scammed with your help!

Fact #6 : They Can Potentially Be Dangerous

Similar scams in the past have more dangerous variants, where you are asked to :
a) install an app, which is really a malware to keep sending you advertisements
b) enter your banking or credit card details, ostensibly to prove your identity or some other excuse

Needless to say – proceeding with this step will open you up to great risk of monetary loss. DO NOT PROCEED!

If you install their malware, you will start receiving promotions, some of which will ask you to send an SMS to receive expensive free gifts like laptops and smartphones.

If you proceed to send the confirmation SMS messages, you will be subscribed and billed for international premium SMS services.

This is VERY DANGEROUS. Never agree to download and register for any unknown app from a website.

Always download your apps from an official App Store like Google Play Store (for Android smartphones) and Apple App Store (for iPhones).

Fact #7 : They Are Just Another Example Of Online Scams

These are just more examples of online scams offering freebies.

Now that you know the facts, please WARN your family and friends!

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Starlink Donation : What A Brilliant Way To Make $$$!

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Elon Musk just stumbled on a great way for SpaceX to make more money – add a Starlink donation option!

Starlink Donation : Way Out For Elon Musk + Brilliant Way To Make $$$

Right after being forced to withdraw his demand for more Starlink funding, Elon Musk just found a fortuitous escape hatch for that PR debacle, and a new and brilliant way to make more money!

Chipper CEO Ham Serunjogi tweeted a day earlier that he would be happy to donate money to donate Starlink to schools and hospitals in Uganda.

Just installed Starlink and quite impressed with initial speeds & ease of setup. Most excited about its potential to bring internet access to remote & rural areas that lack infrastructure. @elonmusk I’d be glad to commit $$ to donate Starlink to schools & hospitals in Uganda. pic.twitter.com/zsab7ESBUd

— Ham Serunjogi (@HSerunjogi) October 16, 2022

Musk jumped on it and asked if anyone else would be interested to donate Starlink to places in need.

Are there others that want to donate Starlinks to places in need?

Without waiting for a poll or positive response from his legion of fans, the SpaceX CEO announced 6 minutes later that SpaceX will add a donate option for Starlink.

Ok, we will add a donate option to Starlink

It took Elon Musk only 6 minutes to realise the genius of the idea. A Starlink donation option would kill two birds with one stone.

Not only would it absolve him of the need to (partially) donate to Ukraine or Iran, or impoverished communities, SpaceX gets to financially benefit from those donations, AND reap the PR benefits on top of that!

That’s a pay nothing, and get all three FREE deal right there! What is there not to like?

Elon Musk + SpaceX Do Not Need A Starlink Donation Option!

Call me a cynic, but this is nothing more than a ploy to enrich SpaceX by squeezing the common people to donate Starlink.

Of course, we don’t yet know how the Starlink donation option will work – it was just a declaration of intent. But neither Elon Musk nor SpaceX actually need to add a Starlink donation option.

SpaceX received and continue to receive tens of millions of dollars in donations to provide Starlink to Ukraine, and we know that because their letter of demand leaked inconvenient details – some 85% of Starlink terminals were donated by third party entities like:

USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals

In other words – there are already institutions donating vast amounts of money to fund Starlink for such “places in need”. Elon Musk himself can fund a lot of CSR projects with his wealth of over $200 BILLION, even if he ends up buying Twitter.

Elon Musk didn’t become a multi-billionaire by donating his money; and despite signing the Giving Pledge in 2012, he has done very little of it.

What is clear though is that neither SpaceX nor Elon Musk need us common folks trying to make ends meet, to donate Starlink.

Why Is Ham Serunjogi Even Asking For A Starlink Donation Option?

I don’t even understand why Ham Serunjogi is publicly asking Elon Musk if there’s a way to donate Starlink to schools and hospitals in Uganda.

As far as I can tell – SpaceX hasn’t even applied for regulatory approval for Starlink in Uganda. So donating to Uganda is a non-starter, the question moot. Pointless.

But if Ham Serunjogi or any other rich technopreneur wants to help connect “places in need” under Starlink coverage, they can simply order and pay for Starlink. As the Nike motto says – Just do it!

Unless the purpose is to get some nice PR without actually doing anything, or heavens forbid – to give Elon Musk a way to switch the topic away from SpaceX’s less than heroic donations to Ukraine.

Here I lay to rest my cynicism, in hopes that I’m wrong, and Ham Serunjogi and other rich people will do their bit to bring Internet connectivity to people who don’t yet have access.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Elon Musk Withdraws Demand For Starlink Funding!

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Elon Musk has officially withdrawn SpaceX’s demand for more Starlink funding in Ukraine!

Elon Musk Withdraws Demand For Starlink Funding!

Elon Musk was seen as a saviour to Ukrainians, after his company – SpaceX, shipped thousands of its satellite terminals to Ukraine, and activated its Starlink satellite Internet services.

But he came under fire after a SpaceX letter demanding more funding leaked, exposing how most of Starlink service in Ukraine was being funded by third party entities, including the US, UK and Polish governments.

The backlash resulted in an angry “The hell with it” retort by Musk, which could either mean he was going to continue subsidising a small part of Starlink services in Ukraine, or he was just being sarcastic.

That was finally clarified when he tweeted that SpaceX officially withdrew its request for (additional) funding.

SpaceX has already withdrawn its request for funding

He could barely hide his indignation at being “exposed” for only subsidising a small percentage of Starlink services in Ukraine, with his follow-up tweet to “clarify” that SpaceX was only getting paid for 42% of Starlink users in Ukraine.

To be precise, 25,300 terminals were sent to Ukraine, but, at present, only 10,630 are paying for service

While that sounds “bad”, the truth is – SpaceX was charging an ultra-premium $2,500 for its Starlink service in Ukraine, when most users only needed the much cheaper $500 connectivity, or the $60 consumer connectivity.

That’s like charging them for Gigabit broadband, when they only need 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps connectivity. The cost is the same, but the company gets to claim that they are being fleeced, when the truth is – they are looking to profiteer off a country desperately trying to fight off a Russian invasion.

Come on, Elon…

Elon Musk / SpaceX Is Making Money Off Starlink In Ukraine!

As a capitalist and a corporation respectively, Elon Musk and SpaceX are entitled to profit off the Starlink satellite service. But it is also important to note that Ukraine has offered SpaceX a unique opportunity to showcase the advantages of the Starlink system.

The overwhelmingly positive media coverage of Starlink’s importance in the Ukraine War is something money can’t buy. So it is important that Elon Musk and SpaceX do not abuse their unique position, to focus on profit, profit, profit.

Not only do they stand to lose that positive news coverage, it could also open a bag of worms… like when the leaked letter exposed that SpaceX was not as charitable as everyone thought.

According to the leaked SpaceX letter, about 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paid or partially paid for by countries like the US, the UK and Poland. Those countries also paid for about 30% of the Internet connectivity, which costs $4,500 per month per unit.

That service cost was also brought into question since it was their top-tier pricing, when the majority of users in Ukraine only needed the much cheaper $500 per month connectivity, and consumer connectivity only cost $60 per month. It looked like SpaceX was profiteering off Ukraine’s desperation.

The SpaceX letter naturally rankled the Pentagon, with one senior defence official saying that SpaceX has “the gall to look like heroes” and present them with a bill for tens of millions of dollars, when Starlink service in Ukraine was already being sponsored in large part by outside sources.

Let’s hope that Elon Musk and SpaceX has learned their lesson on trying to profit off the Ukraine War…

Earlier : SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!

According to an exclusive report by CNN, SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote a letter to the Pentagon, warning that it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service.

SpaceX delivered about 20,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine so far, with CEO Elon Musk stating on Friday that the “operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year“.

We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.

In the letter that was sent in September, SpaceX asked the Pentagon to fund the Ukraine government’s use of Starlink, which would cost $124 million for the rest of the year, and could cost as much as $380 million for the next 12 months.

Here is a breakdown of Starlink costs in Ukraine, and who paid for what:

USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals

SpaceX priced the two Starlink satellite terminal models it sent to Ukraine at $1,500 and $2,500, even though the consumer model is cheaper at just $599.

SpaceX claims to have paid for about 70% of the service provided to those Starlink terminals, but that’s based on their claim to have offered the highest level of service at $4,500 per month, even though the majority only signed on for the cheaper $500 per month service. Starlink consumer service in Ukraine, in comparison, costs just $60 per month!

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Elon Musk To Keep (Partly) Funding Starlink In Ukraine!

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Amidst the recent funding controversy, Elon Musk has begrudgingly agreed to keep (partly) funding Starlink services in Ukraine!

Elon Musk To Keep (Partly) Funding Starlink In Ukraine!

Elon Musk was seen as a saviour to Ukrainians, after his company – SpaceX, shipped thousands of its satellite terminals to Ukraine, and activated its Starlink satellite Internet services.

Starlink has been critical in providing the Ukrainian government and military forces with secure communications, and the ability to control drones to monitor or attack Russian forces.

But that burnish was just soiled by the raging controversy over SpaceX’s reluctance to “keep paying” for Starlink in Ukraine, especially when it’s revealed that most of the “free” terminals and services were funded by other parties!

In what appears to be a rage post, Elon Musk begrudgingly agreed to keep (partly) funding Starlink services in Ukraine on Saturday, October 15, 2022:

The hell with it … even though Starlink is still losing money & other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we’ll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free.

Of course, that could be nothing more than Musk’s sarcastic response to what he probably perceives as a lack of appreciation for SpaceX’s efforts.

Elon Musk / SpaceX Is Making Money Off Starlink In Ukraine!

Not only do they stand to lose that positive news coverage, it could also open a bag of worms… like when the leaked letter exposed that SpaceX was not as charitable as everyone thought.

Let’s hope that Elon Musk and SpaceX has learned their lesson on trying to profit off the Ukraine War…

Earlier : SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!

According to an exclusive report by CNN, SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote a letter to the Pentagon, warning that it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service.

SpaceX delivered about 20,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine so far, with CEO Elon Musk stating on Friday that the “operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year“.

We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.

Here is a breakdown of Starlink costs in Ukraine, and who paid for what:

USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals

SpaceX priced the two Starlink satellite terminal models it sent to Ukraine at $1,500 and $2,500, even though the consumer model is cheaper at just $599.

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Name : Adrian Wong
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!

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SpaceX is no longer willing to pay for Starlink satellite service in Ukraine!

SpaceX Will No Longer Pay For Starlink In Ukraine!

The stars are shining for once on Russian President Vladimir Putin in his invasion of Ukraine!

According to an exclusive report by CNN, SpaceX’s director of government sales wrote a letter to the Pentagon, warning that it can no longer continue to fund the Starlink service.

SpaceX delivered about 20,000 Starlink satellite terminals to Ukraine so far, with CEO Elon Musk stating on Friday that the “operation has cost SpaceX $80M & will exceed $100M by end of year“.

We are not in a position to further donate terminals to Ukraine, or fund the existing terminals for an indefinite period of time.

Here is a breakdown of Starlink costs in Ukraine, and who paid for what:

USAID – about $3 million on hardware and services
Poland : almost 9,000 Starlink terminals
US : almost 1,700 terminals

SpaceX priced the two Starlink satellite terminal models it sent to Ukraine at $1,500 and $2,500, even though the consumer model is cheaper at just $599.

Loss Of Starlink In Ukraine Will Be Disastrous

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite service has been vital to Ukraine’s success on the battlefield, proving its government and military with secure communications and Internet connectivity.

It not only provides Ukrainian forces with secure communications, it allows them to control drones to monitor and even attack Russian forces.

However, that reliance on SpaceX and its Starlink satellite service is a double-edged sword – it appears to be highly reliant on whims and fancies of its erratic CEO – Elon Musk.

Revelations about this letter raises concerns about Musk’s allegiance in the Ukraine War, after his much-derided Ukraine peace plan on October 3, 2022.

Not only did Elon Musk personally block the use of Starlink in Russia-occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian counteroffensives in the South and East were recently stymied by outages on the battlefield.

That has affected every effort of the Ukrainians to push past that front. Starlink is the main way units on the battlefield have to communicate.

According to SpaceX, about 85% of the 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine were paid or partially paid for by countries like the US, the UK and Poland. Those countries also paid for about 30% of the Internet connectivity, which costs $4,500 per month per unit.

The SpaceX letter rankled the Pentagon, with one senior defence official saying that SpaceX has “the gall to look like heroes” and present them with a bill for tens of millions of dollars, when Starlink service in Ukraine was already being sponsored in large part by outside sources.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Elon Musk Personally Blocked Starlink In Crimea!

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Elon Musk personally blocked Ukraine from accessing Starlink in Russia-occupied Crimea over concerns it could start a nuclear war!

Elon Musk Personally Blocked Starlink In Crimea!

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, Elon Musk and the US government have provided Kyiv with thousands of Starlink systems, providing Ukrainian forces with satellite communications.

The low energy requirements of the Starlink satellite receivers also made it useful in controlling reconnaissance drones which provide valuable, real-time intelligence on Russian forces.

So it’s no wonder Elon Musk has been kind of a hero to the Ukrainian people, until he suggested that Russia should be allowed to keep Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk.

After that suggestion met with a collective “Fuck off” from Ukrainian diplomat Andrij Melnyk and the Ukrainian government in general, Musk was embroiled in more controversy.

According a report published on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Elon Musk personally rejected a request by Ukraine to use the Starlink satellite Internet service in Russia-occupied Crimea.

Apparently, the SpaceX CEO feared that a Ukrainian assault to retake the peninsula from Russia could lead to a nuclear war after a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to Eurasia Group founder Ian Bremmer, Elon Musk was asked by the Ukrainian defence ministry to activate Starlink in Crimea, which had been annexed by Russia since 2014.

Musk “refused, given the potential for escalation“, after recently speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin who said that he was “prepared to negotiate“.

That was what apparently led to Elon Musk to propose his much-derided Ukraine peace plan on October 3, 2022.

Ukraine-Russia Peace:

– Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.

– Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchev’s mistake).

– Water supply to Crimea assured.

– Ukraine remains neutral.

This is highly likely to be the outcome in the end – just a question of how many die before then

Also worth noting that a possible, albeit unlikely, outcome from this conflict is nuclear war

Elon Musk Denies Speaking With Putin, But Not Blocking Starlink

Elon Musk flatly denied speaking with Vladimir Putin recently, stating that his last conversation with the Russian President was “18 months ago” on “space“.

He also stated that it was “pointless” to speak with Putin, as “there is currently no overlap between Russian and Ukrainian demands” and that “it’s not even close“.

The Russian government backed Musk, with a Kremlin spokesperson stating on Tuesday that Musk and Russian President Putin had a phone call around a year and a half ago, but didn’t specify what was discussed.

Interestingly, even though Elon Musk was quick to deny any recent contact with Putin, he did not deny personally blocking Ukraine from using Starlink in Crimea.

That decision to block Starlink would likely make it very difficult, if not impossible, for Ukrainian forces to send drones to monitor or attack Russian forces in Crimea.

It is also troubling that Musk has the personal power to make decisions that directly affect Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian aggression.

On one hand, Ukraine needs Starlink for secure communications. On the other hand, their secure communications is now dependent on the whims and fancies of one man – Elon Musk.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Sources : Maxis + U Mobile Decline 5G Network Stake!

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Sources have confirmed that both Maxis and U Mobile do not plan to take up a stake in DNB – the government-owned 5G agency!

Here is what you need to know, and what it means for 5G adoption in Malaysia!

Sources : Maxis + U Mobile Decline 5G Network Stake!

Sources just confirmed to Reuters that both Maxis and U Mobile do not plan to take up a stake in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) – the government-owned 5G agency.

According to three people familiar with the matter, Maxis and U Mobile do not see any benefit in becoming a minority shareholder of DNB, but they will remain in talks to gain access to the DNB 5G network.

It is possible that Maxis and U Mobile made this decision to pressure the government into allowing a second 5G service to be setup.

One source said, “[The parties] will have to try and restructure the deal”.

But until one side acquiesces, the rollout of 5G for most consumers in Malaysia will be further delayed.

Maxis + U Mobile Is Out, Will Other Networks Buy 5G Stake In DNB?

Maxis, U Mobile, Celcom and DiGi had earlier proposed to take a majority stake in DNB, but that was rejected by the government.

So the four main mobile network operators are now lobbying for a second 5G network – the Dual Wholesale Network (DWN) model, instead of a single whole network controlled by DNB.

With Maxis and U Mobile out, the Malaysian government’s plan to sign agreements with the other mobile networks has been disrupted.

In fact, the deadline ends today (Wednesday, August 31, 2022) for the six mobile network operators in Malaysia to agree on whether to take a combined 70% stake in DNB.

Until now, only Telekom Malaysia and YES – the two smaller telcos – have signed up with DNB to provide 5G access, with TM still running tests, while YES offering very limited 5G coverage in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Canada Internet Outage Due To Software Update, Not China!

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The country-wide mobile and Internet outage in Canada was due to a software update, not hacking by China!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : China Responsible For Mobile + Internet Outage In Canada!

Within hours of news breaking that Canada suffered a massive Internet outage, Vancouver Times posted a story claiming that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) identified China as the responsible party.

Vancouver Times also claimed that the RCMP will issue arrest warrants for the hackers responsible, who are connected to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Chinese state hackers are responsible for a massive internet outage that paralyzed large parts of Canada, according to the RCMP. The federal police agency is in the process of issuing arrest warrants for several people they believe are connected to the People’s Liberation Army.

The RCMP will be holding a press conference in the next few days to announce the arrest warrants, according to sources. Canadian intelligence agencies are reportedly receiving guidance from the CIA and the FBI.

On Friday a widespread network outage from Rogers left many Canadians without mobile and internet service. The outages caused significant problems for police, courthouses, passport offices and other facilities.

The outage also disrupted services across retailers, courthouses, airlines, train networks, credit card processors and police forces, pushing many to delay business transactions. Many people were seen at Starbucks, trying to use their internet service.

The mainstream media and big tech want to hide the truth. Beat them at their own game by sharing this article!

Truth : Canada Internet Outage Due To Software Update, Not China!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Vancouver Times to generate page views and money from gullible people.

Fact #1 : Vancouver Times Is A Fake News Website

Vancouver Times is a “content aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.

To look legitimate, they copy and paste news from legitimate news organisations. To drive traffic, they create fake news, sometimes masked as “satire”.

To give themselves a veneer of deniability, they label themselves as a “satire website” in their About Us section.

Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.

Here are some of their fake news that we debunked :

Fact #2 : Outage Only Affected Rogers Communications

On Friday, July 8, 2022, Canada was hit by a massive mobile and Internet outage that hit businesses, banks, and even police emergency lines.

However, it only affected Rogers Communications, and did not affect rivals like BCE, Telus and Shaw Communications.

The outage was extensive because Rogers is Canada’s leading telecommunications provider, with about 11.3 million wireless subscribers, and 2.25 million retail Internet subscribers.

Fact #3 : RCMP Did Not Blame China For Mobile + Internet Outage

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not blame China for Rogers Communications’ mobile and Internet outage.

This was made up by Vancouver Times to trigger right-wing conspiracy theorists, to go viral and draw more page views.

Fact #4 : Rogers Did Not Blame China For Mobile + Internet Outage

Rogers Communications themselves did not blame China for their mobile and Internet outage.

Fact #5 : Canada Confirmed Outage Was Not A Cyberattack

While the reason behind the outage was still unknown, a spokesperson for Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed to CTV News that “the outage was not due to a cyberattack“.

Fact #6 : Rogers Confirmed Outage Due To Maintenance Update

On 11 July 2022, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri apologised for the country-wide outage of its services.

He also said that the failure was due to “a maintenance update in our core network“. The maintenance work “caused some of our routers to malfunction early Friday morning“.

Fact #7 : Prior Rogers Outage Also Due To Software Update

This wasn’t the first time Rogers Communications’ network failed so drastically.

Just 15 months earlier – Rogers and its subsidiary, Fido, experienced a nationwide cellular service outage in April 2021.

That outage was ultimately traced to “a recent Ericsson software update” that “affected a piece of equipment in the central part” of their network, leading to “intermittent congestion impacting many customers across Canada“.

Fact #8 : It Would Have Been Considered An Act Of War

China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet network would have been considered an act of war, if it was proven.

The Canadian government would at least have issued a strong statement, if not cut diplomatic ties with China and/or enact sanctions against the Chinese government.

Fact #9 : No One Else Reported This Story

China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet infrastructure would have been major international news, reported across the globe.

Yet not only did no mainstream media cover this incredible story, it hasn’t even been reported in the usual conspiracy theory websites!

That’s because it was a fake story created by one publication – Vancouver Times, in their attempt to go viral again for more page views and ad money.

Fact #10 : There Is No Such Thing As A Publication Ban

Vancouver Times likes to use the “media blackout” claim, to explain why you can’t find any reputable media outlet reporting on China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet infrastructure.

That’s utter and complete bullshit. No one – not a judge, not even the Canadian government – can control the worldwide media, or prevent anyone from writing about such an incredible story.

You can also be sure that even if the mainstream media in the Canada refused to run the story, it would have been reported by foreign media outlets, websites and blogs.

Yet, not a single foreign media outlet or online website published their account of this incredible story? That’s because IT NEVER HAPPENED…

Fact #11 : Mainstream Media + Big Tech Would Have Loved The Hype

Vancouver Times is gaslighting you about how mainstream media and Big Tech want to hide the “truth” about China attacking Canada’s infrastructure.

They would all loved such shocking news, because it would have driven tons of traffic and engagement to their websites / platforms.

In fact, that was precisely why Vancouver Times created the fake story – to drive traffic, for the ad money.

Everything that Vancouver Times publishes should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Please help us fight fake news websites like Vancouver Times – SHARE this fact check out, and SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Ranhill Selects Maxis As Voice + Cloud Provider!

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Ranhill just selected Maxis as their voice and cloud connectivity provider!

Here is what you need to know…

Ranhill Selects Maxis To Boost Voice + Cloud Connectivity

On 12 January 2022, Ranhill SAJ Sdn Bhd (Ranhill) selected Maxis as their voice and cloud connectivity provider, leveraging their portfolio of converged solution capabilities.

Maxis will now connect 77 Ranhill sites across Johor, including their headquarters and water treatment plants through its Managed Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN).

Once implemented, the higher bandwidth and resilient network will allow Ranhill to have real-time visibility of their data, allowing them to make quicker and better decisions to increase productivity and efficiency of their 2,000 employees.

“We are pleased to be selected by Ranhill as their connectivity, voice and cloud solutions provider. Through our unique capabilities and experience, we are able to offer Ranhill a fully managed service portfolio from onboarding right up to 24/7 support with greater cost effectiveness and flexibility. As their partner, we want to ensure that their connectivity needs are met so that they can operate efficiently and have the peace of mind of being well prepared for their digital transformation journey and to Always Be Ahead in a changing world,” said Paul McManus, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Maxis.

“Selecting Maxis as our service provider and partner is an integral step to realising our vision of becoming a world-class water utility company. By connecting all our sites with the latest technology from Maxis, we will be better equipped to support the people of Johor through efficient management of quality water supply. We now have the necessary infrastructure and platform to unlock the benefits of digitalisation as part of our on-going effort to further enhance customer experience,” said Nor Ifuan Md Nor, Chief Executive Officer, Ranhill SAJ.

Maxis will also address Ranhill’s voice communication needs, providing high quality voice services, which is particularly important in rural areas.

Maxis and Ranhill are also exploring future collaboration related to Internet of Things (IoT), cloud services and cybersecurity, as part of Ranhill’s next phase of digitalisation of their organisation.

Maxis Managed SD-WAN Services That Ranhill Will Use

The Maxis managed SD-WAN services that Ranhill will use, runs on Cisco Meraki technology, which simplifies operational tasks like configuration, management and maintenance through automation and intelligence.

Ranhill will have access to a converged connectivity solution that is flexible, scalable and cost-effective. On top of that, the built-in security in SD-WAN also enables end-to-end secure communications, and network-wide security policies.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Yoodo 3rd Anniversary Announcements!

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Yoodo – the 100% digital mobile service – just celebrated their 3rd anniversary, with some announcements!

Yoodo Celebrates 3rd Anniversary!

Yoodo – a Celcom brand – started three years ago in 2018, growing from a young start-up to becoming the only digital telco in the market to offer users the option to cherry pick and pay for what they need in a mobile plan.

According to Chow Tuck Min, Head of Yoodo, over the last 3 years, Yoodo became the dominant telco in esports, sponsoring the PUBG Mobile National Championship and even signing on two esports teams – Yoodo RSG MLBB and Yoodo RSG CODM.

Goodo also sponsored the Malaysian Premier Futsal League (MPFL), and supported local musicians and indie bands through events like Yoodo Presents and Punkrock Picnic.

Yoodo 3rd Anniversary Announcements!

In conduction with their 3rd Anniversary, Yoodo shared these announcements :

TikTok Around The Clock With Yoodo

From now until 31 December 2021, Yoodo users can purchase the new TikTok Add-On for only RM1, after which it will be priced at RM10.

This TikTok Add-On allows users to stream, create and share up to 20GB of TikTok videos.

Mobile Legends : Bang Bang Diamonds Galore

From now until 17 August 2021, Yoodo users can purchase the Mobile Legends : Bang Bang Add-On for only RM1, after which it will retail for RM5.

This Add-On comes with 20GB of Mobile Legends : Bang Bang data, as well as 1,000 in-game diamonds!

Connectivity On-The-Go

Yoodo is partnering with BHP and Petronas to offer their Yoodo SIM packs at only RM3 throughout Peninsular Malaysia.

The SIM Pack are also available at 10 Celcom Bluecube outlets in Mid Valley Megamall, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, AEON Bukit Tinggi, Laman Seri, Sunway Pyramid, NU Sentral, Prima Sri Gombak, Bandar Baru Klang, IOI Mall and Kajang.

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YES PRIHATIN : FREE Phone, Data + Education For B40!

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We compared all of the Prihatin plans, and discovered that the YES PRIHATIN initiative is the BEST there is!

ZERO upfront fee, ZERO monthly fees, and ZERO contract!

Find out how to get a FREE smartphone, FREE data and FREE access to educational content through the YES PRIHATIN initiative!

YES PRIHATIN : What Is it?

On 5 May 2021, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin launched the Jaringan PRIHATIN programme, which offers a one year subsidy to help B40 families and individuals pay for devices and data :

B40 families : RM300
B40 individuals : RM180

YES is stepping up to the challenge, by offering two free PRIHATIN plans.

YES PRIHATIN : FREE Phone, Data + Education For B40!

Great news! If you are in the B40 segment, you are entitled to a FREE smartphone, FREE data and FREE access to educational content from YES!

YES is offering not one, but two PRIHATIN plans for B40 rakyat :

YES PRIHATIN Learn-From-Home Families
YES PRIHATIN Learn-From-Home Individuals

Both plans give subscribers a free smartphone, free data and free access to YTL Foundation’s Learn-From-Home content. All for one year, with no deposit, contract or payment!

On top of all that, subscribers will receive a RM50 Shopee voucher! How awesome is that?

YTL Foundation’s Learn From Home Content : Absolutely FREE!

YES PRIHATIN subscribers will get access to Learn from Home content, either on the FrogAsia Mobile App or the YTL Foundation website.

There are 1,271 lessons across four core subjects – Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mathematics and Science – all mapped against the national curriculum for Primary 1 through Form 5.

There are also more than 13,000 quizzes covering all those core subjects, on the FrogAsia app that parents and students can use for revision.

How Does YES PRIHATIN Compare Against The Competition?

Will you look at that? The YES PRIHATIN plan definitely trumps the competition!

The most important thing B40 individuals and families should not – there is ZERO up front fee, and there is ZERO monthly fee.

On top of that, there is no contract. You are free to leave the plan whenever you want.

The YES PRIHATIN plan is definitely the best option, as our comparison table shows!

RM300 Subsidy	Yes	Maxis Hotlink	Celcom	UMobile	Digi
Up Front Fee	RM 0	RM 91	RM 295	RM 139	RM 100
Monthly Fee	RM 0	RM 60	RM 28	RM 35	RM 35
Monthly Benefits	30 GB data Unlimited calls	30 GB data Unlimited calls	16 GB data Unlimited calls, YT, FB, IG, WhatsApp, WeChat	Unlimited data (4 Mbps)	30 GB data Unlimited calls
Contract	None	12 Months	24 Months	None	None
Free Device	Altitude 3	vivo Y12s	Samsung A02	Samsung A02 or Realme Cii	Samsung A02
Total Entry Cost	RM 0	RM 91	RM 200	RM 139	RM 100

YES PRIHATIN : How To Sign Up?

It is very easy to sign up for YES PRIHATIN, and claim your free smartphone, data, and access to educational content.

There are three ways to sign up for YES PRIHATIN :

WEBSITE : www.yes.my/kasiupB40

HOTLINE : 018-3333-303

SMARTPHONE

Go to the YES PRIHATIN sign-up page.
Click on the red Start button.
Select the Free YES PRIHATIN SIM option.
Choose your plan :
a) Family with 30 GB of free data
b) Individual with 15 GB of free data
Fill in your personal information.
Click the Verify button, once you’re done!

YES PRIHATIN : How To Register + Activate Your SIM?

After you receive your free YES SIM card, load it into your smartphone, and follow these steps :

Open the MyYes app
Click on the New User button.
Click on the Activate SIM option.
Click Face Recognition.
Click the Start button.
Click the record button, and follow these steps to verify your face.
a) Look straight into your phone camera, ensure your eyes are wide open and smile.
b) Turn your face to the left, and then to the right.
c) Look straight into the camera again to capture your image.
Once you see a green check mark, your Face Recognition Verification is complete!

Your free YES SIM card is now activated!

YES PRIHATIN : How To Claim Your Freebies?

To claim your free smartphone and data, follow these steps :

Open the MyYes app
Click on the YES PRIHATIN Learn From Home banner.
Click on the Refer YES PRIHATIN button.
Fill in the IC number of the B40 candidate.
Fill in the information of the prospective B40 family, and click Next when you are done.
Select your preferred plan – Family or Individual – and click Next.
Fill in the delivery address and click Next.
Verify your information, and click Next.

Your information will be processed, and you will be sent a notification if it’s successful!

YES PRIHATIN : How To Contact Them?

In case of any issues with the Yes Altitude smartphone, or their PRIHATIN plan, please contact YES directly at :

Email : learnfromhome.freephone@yes.my
Hotline : 018-333-3303

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FREE 1GB Internet Now Extended To Full 24 Hours!

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All five Malaysian telcos finally agreed to extend the daily free 1GB Internet to the full 24 hours! Here are the details!

FREE 1GB Internet For COVID-19 Lockdown!

As part of the Short-Term Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) announced by the Malaysian government, every Malaysian resident were given 1GB of free Internet every day during the COVID-19 lockdown.

However, they only provided the 1GB of free Internet from 8 AM until 6 PM daily. Presumably because it’s meant for working and learning at home.

FREE 1GB Internet Now Extended To Full 24 Hours!

Some three weeks after Malaysia started its economic recovery, all five Malaysian telcos finally agreed to let people use the daily Internet quota after 6 PM.

Maybe they finally realised that working and learning at home doesn’t actually stop at 6 PM…

Free 1GB Internet Now Usable For Full 24 Hours

Celcom, Digi, Maxis, U Mobile and Telekom Malaysia announced that, effective immediately, the free daily 1GB Internet would be usable for the full 24 hours.

Free 1GB Internet Daily, Until 31 December

They also confirmed that the daily free 1GB Internet will be provided until 31 December 2020.

This daily complimentary 1GB Internet quota is on top of your existing plan’s Internet quota.

If you normally receive 1GB of Internet for a month, this will give you 31GB of Internet for the whole month – 1GB + 30GB (in a month with 30 days).

For Work + Learning, Not For Play

The daily 1GB Internet quota can be used for everything, except social media, video streaming, gaming and music streaming.

Free Access To Essential Services

On top of the daily 1GB Internet quota, all five telcos will provide free and unlimited access to essential COVID-19 related apps and services, like :

MySejahtera and MyTrace apps
CPRC Hotline
Malaysia Ministry of Health and World Health Organization websites

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Maxis Zerolution Deals On HUAWEI P40 | P40 Pro Revealed!

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Maxis just unveiled their Zerolution deals on both the HUAWEI P40 and HUAWEI P40 Pro smartphones!

Find out what Maxis is offering on both new HUAWEI smartphone models!

HUAWEI P40 Smartphones : A Quick Primer

HUAWEI launched three P40 series smartphones, all running on EMUI 10 using the Kirin 990 platform :

HUAWEI P40 : 6.1-inch OLED display, Leica triple camera system, 3800 mAh battery
HUAWEI P40 Pro : 6.58-inch OLED display, Leica quad-camera system, 4,200 mAh battery
HUAWEI P40 Pro+ : 6.58-inch OLED display, Leica penta-camera system, 4,200 mAh battery

Maxis Zerolution Deals On HUAWEI P40

Here is what Maxis is offering if you purchase the HUAWEI P40 under the 24-month Zerolution instalment plan :

FREE HUAWEI P40 wireless charging case (worth RM 289)
FREE 1 Year Extended Warranty + 1 Month Screen Protection (worth RM 248)
FREE 3 Months HUAWEI Video Subscription (worth RM 113.40)
FREE 12 Months 50 GB HUAWEI Cloud Storage (worth RM 46.80)
FREE 3 Months Maxis SafeDevice Subscription (worth RM 99)

In addition, if you sign up for a new Share Line under the Maxis Postpaid 158 or Maxis Postpaid 158 plans, you will receive a second HUAWEI P40 for FREE!

Maxis Zerolution Deals On HUAWEI P40 Pro

Here is what Maxis is offering if you purchase the HUAWEI P40 Pro under the 24-month Zerolution instalment plan :

FREE HUAWEI wireless car charger (worth RM 289)
FREE 1 Year Extended Warranty + 1 Month Screen Protection (worth RM 248)
FREE 3 Months HUAWEI Video Subscription (worth RM 113.40)
FREE 12 Months 50 GB HUAWEI Cloud Storage (worth RM 46.80)
FREE 3 Months Maxis SafeDevice Subscription (worth RM 99)

In addition, if you sign up for a new Share Line under the Maxis Postpaid 158 or Maxis Postpaid 158 plans, you will receive a second HUAWEI P40 Pro for FREE!

HUAWEI P40 Series : Where To Buy?

If you are not interested in the Maxis Zerolution plans, you can directly purchase the HUAWEI P40 series smartphones through the official HUAWEI online store :

HUAWEI P40 (8GB+128GB) : Deep Sea Blue | Silver Frost | Blush Gold
HUAWEI P40 Pro (8GB+256GB) : Deep Sea Blue | Silver Frost | Blush Gold

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Fortesys Now Authorised Distributor For Ruckus Networks In Malaysia!

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CommScope just appointed Fortesys as the sole authorised distributor for its Ruckus range of networking products spanning all segments across Malaysia! Here are the full details!

Fortesys | Ruckus : A Quick Primer

Established in 2011, Fortesys Distribution Sdn Bhd is a leading end-to-end networking solutions provider in Malaysia. In addition to providing digital networking solutions, they also provide training programs as well.

Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Ruckus is a world-renowned brand for wired and wireless networking equipment and software. Together with ARRIS, Ruckus is now now of CommScope – a major communications infrastructure company.

Fortesys Now Authorised Distributor For Ruckus Networks In Malaysia!

At a recent ceremony held at the Tropicana Golf Club, Petaling Jaya, Fortesys regional sales director Kevin Kuak (left in picture) shook hands with ARRIS Solutions Malaysia regional manager BK Choo representing the CommScope to finalise this partnership for Malaysia.

We sat down with both principals for a quick chat on this new partnership between Fortesys and CommScope.

According to Kuak, Fortesys would continue to deliver a wide range of advanced networking solutions for the Malaysian and regional markets.

“Our mission is to provide the most cost-effective and complete network solutions to meet all our customers’ business needs,” said Kuak, adding that Fortesys’ appointment as the authorised distributor for Ruckus was yet another milestone for the company.

“We are also fully committed to helping companies ‘future proof’ their businesses through state-of-the-art digital networking solutions, added Kuak.

Kuak also shared that Fortesys is today certified by many world class IT vendors, while providing high quality training for customers.

Meanwhile, Choo said that Ruckus had invented and patented various wireless voice, video, and data technologies, such as adaptive antenna arrays that extend signal range.

“Today, we are well known for our Wi-Fi branded products such as indoor and outdoor wireless access points and wireless controllers,” said Choo.

From a market segment perspective, this partnership bodes well for both parties as Ruckus has traditionally been strong in the hospitality and education segments, while Fortesys has various customers across GLCs (government-linked companies), banking and financial services and the public sector.

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Yoodo : What’s New + Upcoming For 2020!

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Yoodo is celebrating its 2nd anniversary by unveiling 20 new and upcoming features for 2020! Here are the details!

New Brand Logo For 2020 : Yoodo powered by Celcom!

The first major announcement – their new brand logo –Yoodo powered by Celcom. It is designed to convey the innovative edge of Yoodo and the vast network coverage of Celcom.

“Yoodo understands the needs and wants of the modern consumer. We treat them as individuals, giving them greater freedom of choice and control.” said Chow Tuck Mun, Head of Yoodo. “Yoodo powered by Celcom assures and empowers Yoodo users on the vast options, choices, and freedom that are available to them.

New Yoodo Features For 2020

Yoodo announced these new product features for 2020 :

Renew Anytime : users can completely customise the data, voice and SMS of their mobile plans anywhere and at any time without having to complete the full month cycle.
Power Pass : a flexible data booster that offers 100GB of data for 60 mins at RM2.
new data add-ons for TikTok, Viu, Call of Duty Mobile, Boostm and an upcoming add-on for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
Enhanced Roam Like Home : which now offers a 3-day and 7-day pass, so users can use their mobile plan abroad for lower than RM5 per day.
Yoodo Rewards : Customers who purchased a total of 10 Add-Ons will get 1 free and those who have purchased 10 days worth of Roam Like Home passes will get 1 additional day free.

Yoodo eSports + Active Sports Activities For 2020

Yoodo will be sponsoring and organising a series of thrilling esports tournaments across 2020. These tournaments include :

Player Unknown’s Battleground (PUBG MOBILE) National Championship (PMNC) 2020, and
PUBG MOBILE Campus Championship (PMCC) 2020

Yoodo is also the Official Digital Telco sponsor for :

ESL MY Championship 2020 – Call of Duty: Mobile Season 1,
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League – Malaysia & Singapore Season 5,
Yoodo FV Major 2020, and
the Malaysia Premier Futsal League.

New Yoodo Promos For 2020

To commemorate their 2nd anniversary, Yoodo is bringing back the 20GB for RM20 promotion that is available now for all users!

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Get Ready For The 5G Revolution In Malaysia!

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5G will roll out in Malaysia in the near future, empowering Malaysians with next-generation wireless communications.

Are YOU ready for Malaysia’s 5G revolution?

What Is 5G?

5G is a new wireless technology that offers significantly faster Internet connectivity speeds, and far less delay (called latency) than current 4G networks.

While 4G networks can deliver downloads speeds of 1 gigabit per second, with latencies as low as 70 ms, 5G networks will be able to deliver 10x better!

That next-generation level of improvement will power new capabilities in the areas of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and Internet of Things. It will transform a wide variety of industries, from transportation to agriculture and even education.

How Does 5G Work?

5G introduces a slew of new technologies that let it deliver much higher bandwidth, with almost zero delay :

Millimeter Wave Spectrum

With so many people using the same 4G spectrum, it is impossible to deliver high bandwidth.

5G networks avoids this problem by using millimeter wave frequencies between 30 and 300 GHz to make use of a new and different spectrum.

Massive MIMO

In addition to using millimeter waves, 5G networks can leverage on the massive MIMO technology to massively expand the number of users they can support by 22X or more!

This technology allows a 5G base station to fit many more antennas than a 4G base station, letting it to send and receive signals from many more users at once.

Beamforming

5G networks will use beamforming to more efficiently deliver your data, while reducing interference for people around you.

Full Duplex Transmissions

5G networks will introduce full duplex transmissions – their base stations can send and receive data from your smartphone at the same time – doubling download and upload speeds!

The Future of 5G In Langkawi, Malaysia!

Celcom collaborated with the Royal Malaysian Police and the Langkawi Municipal Council to explore the future of 5G technologies.

They started with the deployment of their 5G Safety and Security Smart City solution, with multiple 360⁰ UHD 4K panoramic live video surveillance cameras were installed at the famous tourist spots in Langkawi.

Leveraging 5G’s low latency and high data speeds, the Celcom 5G Safety and Security Smart City solution used Artificial Intelligence and video analytics to perform real-time monitoring with high-definition picture quality.

Celcom is also expanding its 5G use cases in Langkawi to cover Digital Defense for Beach Boundaries, Crowd Control Monitoring, Digital Control of Inbound and Outbound of Cargo, Fleet Management System, Geo-Fencing & Smart Perimeters, as well as 5G Fixed Wireless Access.

Celcom Blazes Path To 5G In Malaysia

The journey to 5G started in 2017, when Celcom became the first network operator in Malaysia to embark on a 5G trial, working with Ericsson to achieve a throughput of 18 Gbps.

Celcom and Ericsson enabled Malaysia’s first 5G hologram call, and demonstrated an autonomous vehicle that connected over a live 5G network in April 2019.

Celcom then launched their first 5G Live Cluster Field Trial at Celcom’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya on 26 July 2019.

The 5G Live Cluster Field Trial lasted six months, allowing Celcom engineers to test and observe use cases and behavior of 5G coverage in a real-life environment.

Data throughputs of close to 6 Gbps
Latency of about 10 ms
5G-to-5G and 5G-to-4G VoLTE (Voice over LTE) calls
Ultra-High Definition (UHD) voice calls
4K UHD video streaming
GameCloud game streaming

Celcom also conducted additional live field trials in areas like Seksyen 14, Crystal Crown Hotel, MPBJ Tower and Taman Jaya LRT Station. So far, those 5G macro sites cover just over 1.2 square kilometers, reaching about 4600 people in 450 households, and 130 shops and offices.

What Can You Expect When 5G Rolls Out In Malaysia?

When 5G rolls out in Malaysia, it will transform how we play and work, and how we consume our online services and content.

Besides delivering a higher bitrate of 4K video streaming, gamers will immediately notice a big drop in network latency, greatly reducing lag. With ultra-low latencies, it will make gaming far more enjoyable and give them a big advantage over gamers still on 4G.

The combination of high data bandwidth and ultra-low latency will greatly improve AR and VR experiences. 5G will enable AR and VR displays with much higher resolution and refresh rates, for a more believable and comfortable experience.

The introduction of 5G will also spur the creation of high-bandwidth IoT devices for our smart homes, always-connected computing devices, and smarter vehicles and yes, even autonomous vehicles one day!

Even cloud and media services will be transformed by 5G. Data stored in cloud services will feel as if they are residing in your mobile device or computer.

The quality of the media we consume today on streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, Apple TV+, Tidal and Spotify will be greatly improved because the industry will move to optimize for quality, instead of optimizing for low-bandwidth.

Even location services like Waze and Google Maps will be greatly enhanced by 5G. Your location can be more precisely triangulated using the 5G network, which means you will no longer miss a turn, or lane change!

5G may seem like a buzz word today, but it will change our lives when it rolls out in Malaysia!

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12 Days Later : Unifi Statement On Game Server Issues…

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12 days after the official Unifi support account on Twitter claimed that Unifi blocked some game servers, Unifi finally issued an official statement on the whole PR disaster…

Their statement was aptly named We Are Gamers Too… but honestly, this statement should have been issued 12 days ago.

What Happened : Unifi Will Block Games With Inappropriate Content???

The whole issue started on 6 February 2020, when Ahmad Asyraf asked the official Unifi support account on Twitter (@helpmeunifi) to check why he was unable to connect to the Rainbow Six Siege game servers on Unifi.

Shockingly, he was told that “TM will block if the games involve inappropriate content such as violent, gaming, scam, etc.”

While some netizens started saying that @helpmeunifi is a fake account, that’s not true. It is a genuine Unifi support account on Twitter.

We Found Out What Really Happened 11 Days Ago

We got in touch with a Unifi Chat staff to clarify this, and she confirmed that the @helpmeunifi statement was correct.

It would have been easy to stop there, and start lambasting Unifi for such a policy. After all, the Malaysian government is promoting esports involving FPS games like Rainbow Six Siege!

But for us, their statements appear to be boilerplate replies by frontline staff members who have no idea if this is actually a technical issue, or a policy decision.

So we wrote to TM by email, asking them to clarify why Unifi users are unable to access Rainbow Six Siege game servers.

If it was a technical issue, what was the problem, and when will Unifi be able to restore access?

And if it was a policy issue, we wanted to know how TM came to that decision to block access to the Rainbow Six Siege game servers on Unifi, and if that was a directive by the MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission).

This was their replies to us in two separate emails (edited for clarity) :

We are not restricting access to Ubisoft game servers. We are currently working on the issue with Ubisoft.

Our 2nd Level team is already aware of this issue, and are in the midst of investigating the cause. We cannot give you a restoration time frame, and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused.

So, there you have it, everyone. Confirmation that TM did not actually block access to the Rainbow Six Siege game servers, or any game server for the matter.

As we suspected, the TM Unifi frontline support staff merely recited their boilerplate policy that they have the right to block access to content with inappropriate content.

We Are Gamers Too : Official Unifi Statement On Game Server Issues

Almost two weeks into this PR kerfuffle, Unifi finally issued an official statement on the whole issue :

We Are Gamers Too

Hi everyone, recently we’ve received feedback that some unifi users, who are avid gamers, have had some problems accessing their favourite video game servers such as EA, Ubisoft and the PlayStation Network. Understandably, this has caused some frustration. We get it and we feel your frustration. After all, we’re gamers too.

And understandably, there has been some confusion on why these problems occurred. Difficulty accessing gaming servers is not a problem for unifi users only. We’ve checked. Gamers on other networks in Malaysia and around the world are going through the same thing.

There are a number of scenarios that may affect access to game servers. They include multiple logins and wrong login attempts. This has nothing to do with the unifi network itself. Please give us a moment to clarify some misconceptions.

We Do Not Block Access To Game Servers

A number of you have reached out to us via social media and our official customer service channels asking if we block access to game servers. We’d like to make it very clear that we don’t and have no reason to do so. Video games are a big part of a lot of people, including us.

Our Network Is Built For Gamers

With a fibre optic network that spans a distance farther than the moon, the unifi network is the most extensive fixed and mobile network in the country, and we’ve designed this network to cater for the demands of gamers just like you.

Our network comprises of 12 data centres, 20 submarine cables spanning the globe and over 560,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to offer the best gaming experience for you.

Our state-of-the-art network operations centre proactively monitors our network and continuously optimizes data routes to mitigate and eliminate congestions to further improve your gaming experience.

At the same time, we’re always adding the latest game consoles in our labs as part of our test program to find out how we can further optimize our network for the newest consoles.

In addition, we have direct peering connections to some of the biggest game brands in the world.

If You Encounter Problems, What Can You Do?

First of all, it is very likely not a problem with the unifi network. The causes for problems accessing your favourite games server may vary and we recommend that you reach out to the server provider directly to check.

Head over to the unifi community. We have an active community of unifi users that help each other. The unifi community is the best place to find like-minded users that may have encountered a similar problem and have found a solution for it. Users having problems with their PSN Network Address Translation (NAT) configuration found that the solution offered here help solved their issue.

We hope these tips will improve your gaming experience. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us on social media, via live chat or phone. Thank you.

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Did TM Block Games On Unifi? No, And Here’s Why…

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The official Unifi support account on Twitter shocked Malaysians when it claimed that TM will block games with inappropriate content.

We confirmed that it actually happened, but that it was all a misunderstanding, and Unifi did not block access to the Rainbow Six Siege game servers.

Here is what happened, and how TM Unifi’s response kicked off the whole controversy…

TM Unifi Will Block Games With Inappropriate Content?

The whole issue started when Ahmad Asyraf asked the official Unifi support account on Twitter (@helpmeunifi) to check why he was unable to connect to the Rainbow Six Siege game servers on Unifi.

Shockingly, he was told that “TM will block if the games involve inappropriate content such as violent, gaming, scam, etc.”

While some netizens started saying that @helpmeunifi is a fake account, that’s not true. It is a genuine Unifi support account on Twitter.

We got in touch with a Unifi Chat staff to clarify this, and she confirmed that the @helpmeunifi statement was correct.

It would have been easy to stop there, and start lambasting Unifi for such a policy. After all, the Malaysian government is promoting esports involving FPS games like Rainbow Six Siege!

But for us, their statements appear to be boilerplate replies by frontline staff members who have no idea if this is actually a technical issue, or a policy decision.

No, TM Unifi Did Not Block Access To Game Servers

So we wrote to TM by email, asking them to clarify why Unifi users are unable to access Rainbow Six Siege game servers.

If it was a technical issue, what was the problem, and when will Unifi be able to restore access?

This was their replies to us in two separate emails (edited for clarity) :

We are not restricting access to Ubisoft game servers. We are currently working on the issue with Ubisoft.

So, there you have it, everyone. Confirmation that TM did not actually block access to the Rainbow Six Siege game servers, or any game server for the matter.

As we suspected, the TM Unifi frontline support staff merely recited their boilerplate policy that they have the right to block access to content with inappropriate content.

However, that is not the case with this sudden loss of connectivity to Ubisoft servers. And even more unfortunately, they cannot give anyone an idea of when they can restore connectivity…

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HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G : Malaysia Telco Deals!

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HUAWEI just launched the Mate 30 Pro 5G, and here are the Malaysia telco deals at a glance! Find out what your telco is offering, and compare it against the other telcos!

HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G

The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G is built around the brand new Kirin 990 platform, with a triple-tier architecture :

two ARM Cortex-A76 high-performance cores at 2.86 GHz
two ARM Cortex-A76 sustained performance cores at 2.36 GHz
four ARM Cortex-A55 low-power cores at 1.95 GHz

It also comes with a powerful 16-core ARM Mali-G76 GPU, and a new Da Vinci neural architecture.

The 4G model comes with 2 NPUs – 1 big + 1 small, but the 5G model will have 3 NPUs – 2 big + 1 small. This should give the 5G model a significant boost in AI capabilities.

In the front, it has a 32 MP selfie camera, but in the back, it features a new SuperSensing Quad Camera that consists of :

a 40 MP SuperSensing main camera (f/1.6)
a 8 MP telephoto camera with 3X optical zoom (f/2.4)
a 40 MP ultra-wide camera (f/1.8)
a 3D Time-of-Flight camera

The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G is powered by a large 4,500 mAh battery, and supports 40 W wired charging, and 27 W wireless charging.

HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G vs 4G Specifications

Specifications	HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro (5G)	HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro (4G)
Display	6.53-inch OLED display – 1176 x 2400 pixels (~409 ppi) – HDR10 + DCI-P3 colour gamut
Protection	Gorilla Glass 6 + IP68
Operating System	Android 10 with EMUI 10
System Platform	HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G	HiSilicon Kirin 990
CPU	2 x ARM Cortex-A76 cores (2.86 GHz) 2 x ARM Cortex-A76 cores (2.36 GHz) 4 x ARM Cortex-A55 cores (1.95 GHz)
NPU	2 Big Cores + 1 Tiny Core	1 Big Core + 1 TinyCore
GPU	ARM Mali-G76 MC16
RAM	8 GB LPDDR4x
Storage	256 GB UFS 3.0 storage NM Card (up to 256 GB)
Front Camera	32 MP with f/2.0 lens 3D ToF camera
Rear Cameras	40 MP main camera (f/1.6) 8 MP 3X telephoto camera (f/2.4) 40 MP ultra-wide camera (f/1.8) 3D ToF Camera
Connectivity	5G : NSA and SA modes 4G : LTE Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth : BT5.0 USB : USB 3.1 Type C	5G : NA 4G : LTE Wi-Fi : 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth : BT5.0 USB : USB 3.1 Type C
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes, In Display
Other Sensors	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass
Battery	4,500 mAh 40 W wired charging 27 W wireless charging
Dimensions	73.1 mm wide 158.1 mm tall 8.8 mm thick
Weight	198 g

HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G : Malaysia Telco Deals!

The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G has a recommended retail price of RM 4,199 (~S$1,409 / ~US$1,009 / ~£779 / ~A$1,519) here in Malaysia, and comes with exclusive gifts worth RM 537 :

HUAWEI Wireless In-Car SuperCharge charger
HUAWEI Care (1-year extended warranty)

And here are the four Malaysia telco deals for the Mate 30 Pro 5G :

Telco	Best Deal	Alternate
Celcom	EasyPhone : RM 99 per month	Platinum Plus : RM 1,458 one-time
UMobile	HERO P139 : RM 1,599 one-time	HERO P99 : RM 1959 one-time
Maxis	Zerolution : RM 99 per month	–
Digi	PhoneFreedom 365 : RM 68 per month	–

If you prefer to purchase the Mate 30 Pro 5G outright though, here are some great deals :

Store	Price	Free Gifts
DirectD	RM 4199	HUAWEI Care HUAWEI SuperCharge wireless in-car charger HUAWEI SuperCharge car charger HUAWEI Soundstone CM51 HUAWEI Body Scale HUAWEI CM510 Bluetooth Speaker
Gadgets House	RM 4199	HUAWEI Care HUAWEI SuperCharge wireless in-car charger HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro case HUAWEI Smart Band 3 HUAWEI Mini Bluetooth Speaker
HUAWEI Premium Store	RM 4199	HUAWEI Care HUAWEI SuperCharge car charger HUAWEI Body Scale

This is really the best time ever to purchase the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G smartphone!

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Celcom + Maxis : First 5G Network Sharing Trial Succeeds!

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Celcom and Maxis just announced that they successfully conducted Southeast Asia’s first 5G network sharing trial! Here are the details!

Celcom + Maxis : First 5G Network Sharing Trial Succeeds!

Celcom and Maxis conducted Southeast Asia’s first 5G Multi Operator Core Network (MOCN) trial in December 2019, following the MoU agreement on 25 November 2019.

It utilised the Maxis 5G site at Seaview Hotel in Kuah, and the Celcom 5G site at The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, testing their capability to support both Maxis and Celcom users.

MOCN is a sharing mechanism that allows two different core networks to share the same RAN (Radio Active Network).

Using MOCN allows Celcom and Maxis to quickly extend their 5G coverage across Langkawi, just by leveraging their existing 5G sites.

Celcom + Maxis : Future 5G Sharing Plans

Moving forward, Celcom and Maxis plans to conduct further RAN sharing trials using 5G Standalone (5G SA) network this quarter, Q1 2020.

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Finally, A Postpaid Plan That Sizes According To Your Needs!

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Celcom Xpax just introduced a new postpaid plan – XP Lite™, with a low-entry price and sizes according to your needs.

Find out why this is the new plan that offers the best value for your money, with flexibility to boot!

The Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ Postpaid Plan At A Glance!

Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ is a brand-new postpaid plan that is designed to appeal to those who want a flexib.

It’s highly-affordable, starting at just RM 28 per month!
It is flexible – size up for more Internet, only when you need it!
Enjoy FREE unlimited Internet every day, just by staying on the plan!
Grab the opportunity to gear up with the latest smartphones!

Why Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ Gives You The Best Value For Your Money

The new Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ plan has a starting price of just RM 28 per month, making it the cheapest postpaid plan in Malaysia.

Best of all – it gives you access to the best network in Malaysia!

Free Yourself To Choose + Add On This Postpaid Plan!

Celcom Xpax also designed XP Lite™ to be highly flexible, letting you customise the plan your way.

Start with 1 GB of Internet with unlimited calls for just RM 28 per month. And if you need more Internet, just size up with L or M Passes!

XP Lite Pass	L	M
Monthly Internet	12 GB total (1 GB + 11 GB)	5 GB total (1 GB + 4 GB)
FREE Video Walla™	3 GB	3 GB
Total Internet	15 GB	8 GB
Pass Price	RM 30 per month	RM 10 per month
Total Cost	RM 58 per month (RM 28 + RM 30)	RM 38 per month (RM 28 + RM 10)

You can also enjoy UNLIMITED INTERNET with the L or M pass using the Celcom Life app – just purchase the Ultra Hour Pass™ from as low as RM 1!

FREE Grab Vouchers With Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ Passes!

If you sign up for XP Lite™ through the Celcom Online Shop, you will receive :

a RM 5 Grab voucher, if you subscribe with M Pass!
a RM 20 Grab voucher, if you subscribe with L Pass!

This promotion ends on 30 November 2019, so hurry!

Gear Up This Awesome Postpaid Plan With A FREE Phone!

Celcom Xpax is giving away limited units of the OPPO A1k smartphone for FREE with the XP Lite™ with L Pass, and other smartphones at MASSIVE DISCOUNTS!

Stay On Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ + Get Rewarded!

Stay on the Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ plan for more than 6 months to get rewarded with free unlimited Internet every day, or free 1 GB of Video Walla™ bandwidth!

XP Lite Pass	L		M
Stay On Bonus (7th Month Onwards)	FREE 1 hour of Ultra Hour Pass™ every day!		Free 1 GB Video Walla™

Enjoy A FREE Size Up From Celcom Xpax!

Everyone can enjoy a free Size Up from one scoop to double scoops from Inside Scoop, Ice Cream Bar and Sweet Escape on 28 November!

For every Saturday from now until 30 November 2019, you will get a FREE SIZE UP of from Regular to Large at these Green Mug outlets in East Malaysia :

Green Mug Lintas : Plaza 2, Lintas Plaza, Kota Kinabalu
Green Mug Kingfisher Outlet : Plaza Kingfisher 6, Kota Kinabalu
Green Mug @ Gaya Street : Lot 115, Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu
Green Mug Kiosk @ EG Mall : Stall F11, Golden Hill Commercial Park, EG Mall, Kota Kinabalu
Green Mug Kiosk @ Asquare : 4A, Jalan Centre Point, Kota Kinabalu
Green Mug Suria Mall : Lower Ground Floor, Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, Kota Kinabalu
Green Mug Miri : LG 12A, Bintang Megamall, Miri

Can you really find a better deal than this? #CelcomXpax #XPLite

Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ : Where To Get This Awesome Postpaid Plan

To sign up and size up with Celcom Xpax XP Lite™ to get these benefits :

Size Up to L / M Pass for extra 14 GB or 7 GB Internet respectively
Stay On with L Pass, and get FREE 1 hour Ultra Hour Pass™ every day!
Stay On with M Pass, and get FREE 1 GB Video Walla™
Gear Up with a FREE phone with L Pass
Get more with Unlimited Internet from only RM 1 with Ultra Hour Pass™

>>> Get all those XP Lite™ benefits here! <<<

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How To Get 71% Off HUAWEI Mate 30, Or Get One FREE!

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Now that the HUAWEI Mate 30 Series is available for sale, do you know that it’s possible to get up to 67% off the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro, 71% off the HUAWEI Mate 30, and even a FREE HUAWEI Mate 30 smartphone?

How To Get A FREE HUAWEI Mate 30 / P30

Celcom is now offering a FREE HUAWEI Mate 30 with the Platinum Plus contract (RM 188 per month).

You just need to pay an upfront payment of RM 1800, that will be rebated into your account.

Contract	Contract Cost	Mate 30 Retail Cost	Deposit	Final Cost	Discount
Platinum Plus	RM 188 / month	RM 2,799	RM 1,800	FREE	100%

Celcom is also offering a FREE HUAWEI P30 if you purchase the HUAWEI Mate 30 and sign up for Platinum Plus contract, with a supplementary line.

How To Get 61%-71% Off HUAWEI Mate 30

Celcom is also offering the HUAWEI Mate 30 at discounts of 61% to 71% with these contracts :

Contract	Contract Cost	Mate 30 Retail Cost	Deposit	Final Cost	Discount
Gold Plus	RM 98 / month	RM 2,799	RM 700	RM 1,099	61%
Gold Supreme	RM 128 / month		RM 800	RM 999	64%
Platinum	RM 148 / month		RM 1,000	RM 799	71%

How To Get 50%-67% Off HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro

Finally, you can get HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro at discounts of 61% to 71% with these contracts :

Contract	Contract Cost	Mate 30 Pro Retail Cost	Deposit	Final Cost	Discount
Gold Plus	RM 98 / month	RM 3,899	RM 800	RM 1,958	50%
Gold Supreme	RM 128 / month		RM 950	RM 1,808	54%
Platinum	RM 148 / month		RM 1,100	RM 1,658	57%
Platinum Plus	RM 188 / month		RM 1,500	RM 1,268	67%

Where To Get These HUAWEI Mate 30 | Mate 30 Pro Deals?

You can get them at this Celcom page!

Don’t forget to check out the new Celcom XP Lite – Malaysia’s CHEAPEST postpaid plan at just RM 28 per month!

HUAWEI is also organising a number of roadshows, the first of all was at Sunway Velocity Mall. Check out what deals they offered and will be offering in future roadshows!

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Celcom + Maxis To Explore 5G Network Sharing!

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Celcom and Maxis just signed an MOU to explore the possibility of sharing their 5G infrastructure to accelerate 5G rollout in Malaysia. Here are the details!

Celcom + Maxis To Explore 5G Network Sharing!

Celcom and Maxis today (25 November 2019) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a potential partnership for the deployment of the next-generation 5G network infrastructure across Malaysia.

They will both look at the potential collaboration in the joint deployment of 5G infrastructure in selected areas in Malaysia. Maxis and Celcom will still maintain their own networks, and remain competitive in other areas.

This potential collaboration could help deliver significant cost savings to both telcos, and let them deliver a faster roll-out of 5G services.

Such a collaboration will also enable both telcos to explore possible business opportunities in key 5G strategic areas.

Signing on behalf of Celcom was Idham Nawawi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Muniff Kamaruddin, Chief Strategy and Value Creation Officer. Meanwhile, Maxis was represented by Gokhan Ogut, CEO and Morten Bangsgaard, Chief Technology & Information Officer.

Celcom On 5G Network Sharing MoU With Maxis

Idham Nawawi, Celcom CEO said, “We believe collaboration is the way forward for the industry and working with Maxis to explore a more coordinated 5G deployment in Malaysia is something we are excited about. 5G is the next evolution that will transform how people work, live and play. It will enable a more enhanced consumer experience as well as create new opportunities for consumers, students, governments and businesses alike. Our potential collaboration will pave the way for the delivery of a world-class 5G network, on top of our existing 4G and 3G/2G networks, to every Malaysian, realising a truly digital Malaysia in the IR4.0 era.”

Maxis On 5G Network Sharing MoU With Celcom

Gokhan Ogut, Maxis CEO said, “We welcome the idea of collaborating with Celcom for 5G network sharing. We are already sharing towers, fiber and working together on connectivity for rural areas and USP projects. This helps us save resources and accelerate rollout. With this 5G network sharing, it presents an opportunity for us to deliver more value to our customers. Such industry collaboration is important in supporting Malaysia’s ambition in driving the digital economy.”