Broadband services will be expanded to reach 50 percent of Malaysia's households by the year 2010, a sharp increase from 15.5 percent last year, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said here on Monday.
"As perhaps the most important infrastructure in the digital age, cheap and fast access to the internet is no longer a luxury; it is increasingly becoming a necessity," Badawi said at the opening ceremony of the 16th World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center.
"Beginning this month, residents in the Klang Valeey Conurbation- which includes Kuala Lumpur and several adjoining cities and towns - will be able to enjoy high-speed mobile broadband connectivity using wimax technology under the wireless@ KL initiative," Badawi said.
Under Malaysia's e-Government initiative, several government services have been made available on-line, Badawi said, adding that they will soon launch a comprehensive e-payment facility involving over 100 government agencies.
"We expect that through e-Government initiatives such as these, the efficiency and effectiveness of the public service delivery system ... will be improved," Badawi said.
In 2007, about 800 million ringgit (247 million U.S. dollars) was spent by MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) Malaysia status companies on research and development, more than 3 times the amount spent in 2002, Badawi said.
Meanwhile, the turnover of MSC status companies was approximately 13.6 billion ringgit (4.2 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of more than 25 percent compared to 2002, he said.
"Moreover, as a developing country with aspirations to transform into a developed one, we saw the potential of ICT Information and Communications Technology) in accelerating this transition," he said.
Often billed as the Olympics of ICT, the 16th WCIT is themed " Enable, Empower and Enrich" to reflect its potential to enable businesses, empower societies, and enrich economics.
Held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center on May 18-22, the five-day event has drawn more than 3,000 delegates from 92 countries worldwide.