The Long-Awaited #NetuHeyo Event Unveils Revised Internet Prices and Speed in the Maldives
#NetHeyo event held today in the morning has revealed details of revised internet prices and minimum speeds that will, from decided dates onwards, be referred to as national standards for minimum internet speed and price ranges.
According to the newly set standards, the price for residential internet speeds will be reduced by 28 – 30% of the current prices. An improvement of up to 5x increase in speed will be brought to minimum throttle speed of internet packages, bringing the minimum throttle speed of even the smallest packages to the national minimum broadband speed of 2mbps. Packages priced at MVR 300 and above shall receive a minimum throttle speed of 5mbps.
In this regard, the smallest internet package will be priced starting from MVR 250 onwards and will receive a package speed of 5mbps at a 30GB allowance with a throttle speed of 2mbps.
The changes brought nationwide will be adapted in two phases. It will start applying to broadband internet bills of Ooredoo and Dhiraagu from July 2021 onwards. Improved effect will also be seen in mobile broadband services from October 2021. The telecom providers in the Maldives have agreed to boost mobile broadband package allowance by 20-100% of the current allowance.
Ooredoo
- 30-100% additional data on Prepaid
- 20-30% additional data on Postpaid
- 5-20% additional data on Mobile Broadband
Dhiraagu
- 20% additional data on Prepaid
- 19-28% additional data on Postpaid
- 20% additional data on Mobile Broadband
Once the new internet-related policies come into effect, relevant authorities will be able to regulate and monitor the quality and maintain standard speeds and prices for the internet packages provided in the country. With favorable changes being brought about, further work to bring better changes are underway in collaboration with service providers, for the upcoming 3 years’ time.
The Government further revealed that the opportunity to participate in the NTT’s MIST Fiber Cable System now stands. The submarine cable connection will allow the purchase of raw internet without a mediator by connecting with the main internet exchange networks in the region. The investment will bring a multitude of positive impacts on the internet demands in the Maldives.
In addition to this, an internet exchange point worth an estimated MVR 6 million needs to be built in as a cable landing facility. Via the IXP, internet rates can be reduced permanently without the requirement of cables. It will also open up networking space for international companies to work online in the Maldives, allowing for fields such as education, medicine, back-office operations, banking services, and so on to develop with multi-national scope.
Today, the internet has become a basic necessity hence, the Government’s aim is to provide every citizen with standard internet packages that are affordable and provides acceptable quality internet speeds. Therefore, curated packages will be introduced for the average internet user, students, and people in the ICT sector.
Speaking at the #NetuHeyo event, Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Technology, Ms. Aiminath Shauna highlighted the importance of quality internet in deploying a functional decentralized operation of the government. She stated that the changes brought to internet policies on a national level will be the rise of a new digital era in the country.