5G Coverage Map Shows Thailand & S’pore’s Widespread Connectivity, Leads to Complaints From M’sians

Although we are on the road towards 5G connectivity which is expected to work much faster than the current mainstream 4G networks used worldwide, many of our neighbours are already enjoying faster widespread connectivity.

Recently, a Facebook post by ASEAN Skyline highlighted how we compare with our neighbours with many of them having a far better 5G coverage in comparison to us.

The post which is based on a screenshot obtained from Ookla Speedtest’s ‘2021 State of 5G Worldwide’ infographic, goes on to show the amount of 5G coverage each Southeast Asian country had as of last year.

Produced by Ookla, which offers one of the most popular free Internet access performance analysis tools, 5G coverage on the map is shown through the use of orange dots.

As can be seen in the screenshot, the majority of Thailand already has widespread 5G coverage, which is almost completely lit in orange dots whilst the same can be said of the Philippines, as well as Singapore.

However where Malaysia is concerned, only a small number of orange dots can be seen in West Malaysia, with the largest cluster seen in what appears to be the greater Klang Valley area.

Similarly, the report also claims that the network coverage in Indonesia is also equally scarce, just as it is in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar.

M’sians complain about the lack of connectivity locally

The post has amassed plenty of attention and currently sits on over 3,900 likes as well as 2,100 shares. Plenty of netizens took to the comments section to discuss the state of Internet connectivity in the country.

Netizens drew comparisons between Malaysia’s current network infrastructure with that of other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, both of which have made strides in the area of mobile connectivity.

“If you zoom in you can see Malaysia’s 5G is almost the size of the whole of Singapore. It’s a big achievement,” commented a user sarcastically.

Meanwhile, some have pointed out that even Malaysia’s current 4G network fails to offer coverage in rural areas, while basic 2G networks are still limited in certain areas.

We wait to see what our future will hold in terms of our nation’s connectivity. Hopefully we will be able to catch up pretty soon!

What do you think of the coverage map? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: M’sian Suggests That KL Should Shift to Other Parts of the Country & Netizens Seem to Agree!