AFFORDABLE, SAFE INTERNET: MALAYSIA A REFERENCE FOR AFRICAN NATIONS

From Rosmalis Anuar

BAKU (Azerbaijan), Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Several African countries have expressed interest in adopting Malaysia’s approach to providing affordable and secure internet access, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said today.

As such, Fahmi said he will share Malaysia’s initiatives, including the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as well as measures to ensure a safer internet environment, especially on social media, during the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25).

“These are among the things I believe will greatly interest my counterparts at WTDC-25. Most likely, they want to know the processes, laws, resistance and challenges we have faced,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony of the conference here today.

Fahmi said meaningful connectivity, which is ensuring broader and more secure access to the internet, was also emphasised by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) secretary-general Doreen Bogdan-Martin and ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau director Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava.

Leading Malaysia’s delegation to WTDC-25, Fahmi will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with his counterparts to exchange views on best practices for achieving meaningful connectivity.

“This is important because not all countries have deployed 5G as quickly or effectively as Malaysia; some use different strategies.

“There is much they can learn from us, and we, from them,” he said, adding that the conference is a key platform to ensure no community is left behind.

WTDC-25, held once every four years, is organised by the ITU and hosted this year by Azerbaijan under the theme “Universal, Meaningful, and Affordable Connectivity for an Inclusive and Sustainable Digital Future.”

The conference runs until Nov 28 and focuses on strengthening universal, affordable and meaningful global connectivity.

-- BERNAMA