MCMC checks ECRL internet coverage before Dec 12 launch
Tests cover 16 stations and tunnels, while Maxis Berhad has presented plans for telecommunications infrastructure and network upgrades.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is testing internet speeds across the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) network to locate coverage gaps before its Dec 12 launch, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said.
Speaking at the Kuala Terengganu ECRL Station, Teo said MCMC Nexus was being used to assess connectivity between Gombak and Kota Bharu. The checks include tunnels and 16 stations, identifying both locations without coverage and those where existing service is insufficient.
Teo said Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) had appointed Maxis Berhad to provide 4G mobile network infrastructure for the route. Maxis had presented an implementation plan that includes telecommunications infrastructure provision and upgrades to network equipment.
The works were scheduled to start after China Communications Construction Company, the construction contractor, completes the site handover to MRL, she said. Teo added that coverage expansion would take time, with MCMC continuing to coordinate with MRL and service providers on connectivity problems.
During a train test run earlier, Teo received MCMC's findings on internet speeds measured onboard. The trip between Gombak Integrated Terminal and the Kuala Terengganu ECRL Station took about three hours, covering 378 kilometres of the 519-kilometre Phase 1 alignment.
