MCMC to stop certifying 3G devices.

MCMC has just announced that they, along with related agencies will no longer be certifying 3G / non-VoLTE capable devices.

The truth is, most of us will not be affected by this news unless you still use a non-smartphone / feature phone like a Nokia 3310. Surprisingly enough though, a report in 2019 by MCMC shows that 25.9% of Malaysians still uses a feature phone. If you or someone you know still uses a feature phone, you still have up till end of this year to make a switch.

MCMC further explains that there are two main reasons for this drastic move.

1. Phase out 3G network

Announced late last year, telcos are to slowly phase out 3G network to make room for better 4G coverage. This is also to set a strong foundation for the 5G network which should follow after. With 3G network services removed, it makes complete sense to also bring an end to the imports of devices that do not support 4G / VoLTE. [Read More]

2. Prevent Malaysia from being a dumpster

Malaysia isn’t the only country working toward phasing out 3G services. As such, there is a foreseeable oversupply of these devices in the market. An early end to the import will help prevent these devices from being sold to Malaysia only to be sent to the recycling centers and causing merchants to make losses.

With such a major transition, service providers will be offering special packages to help feature phone users to switch over to smartphones with LTE support.

Lastly, if purchasing a feature phone / non-smartphone, be sure to double check to see if it supports 4G / LTE.

Source: TheEdgeMarkets