KUALA LUMPUR: The demand for internet bandwidth has reached new highs, with a 20 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase from 2022 to 2023.
Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX) said that demand reached its highest at 2.311 TeraBits (Tbps) per second in the past year, a positive surge from the 1.938 Tbps peak in 2022, the highest ever recorded since its establishment in 2006.
“Our findings indicate that there has been a significant rise in online activities throughout the country,” said MyIX chairman Chiew Kok Hin.
MyIX, an initiative under the Malaysian Communications Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is the country’s largest internet exchange.
Its mission is to enhance Malaysia’s internet infrastructure by empowering members to exchange traffic and optimise network performance.
In response to this growing demand, the MyIX committee has decided to reduce its port pricing to offer more benefits to its members.
Effective April 1, 2024, this new pricing strategy will see reductions ranging from 10-20 per cent off the current rates.
Specifically, the cost for a 1Gbps port will be lowered to RM400 per month (down from RM500), a 10Gbps port will be reduced to RM1,600 per month (previously RM2,000), and a 100Gbps port will now be RM7,200 monthly (previously RM8,000).
“The revision in MyIX’s pricing positions us as one of the region’s most affordable – if not the most affordable – internet exchanges,” said Chiew.
He was speaking after concluding MyIX’s annual general meeting which was also attended by MCMC head of technology development Mohamed Hakim Othman.
“Active peering members bring value to the IX community, which supports Malaysia’s goal to improve internet speed, affordability and access, contributing to a digitally inclusive society,” said Chiew.
“Through strategic pricing adjustments, MyIX has further strengthened Malaysia’s role in the regional digital economy, promoting growth and innovation at all levels,” he said.
MyIX is also reinforcing its commitment to nurturing local talent.
As part of its various corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, the exchange recently hosted a free training programme to empower selected individuals with the knowledge and expertise much needed in today’s digital economy, particularly regarding network infrastructure.
Furthermore, MyIX’s effort to build a skilled workforce is extended through the MyIX Fellowship Programme, which offers fellowships to member organisation staff to attend workshops at the annual Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (APRICOT) conference.
This initiative, which commenced this month with the APRICOT 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand, focused on critical areas like IPv6 Deployment and Internet Routing/RPKI.
These initiatives reflect MyIX’s strategic approach to enhancing industry-related skills, ensuring the Malaysian internet sector remains at the forefront of technological advancements.
