No line? WhatsApp call? Govt takes action to enhance call quality

SHAH ALAM - The Communication and Digital Ministry will look into complaints of poor line calls and efforts are being put to increase the quality of service, said its minister, Fahmi Fadzil.

Fahmi said as far as the government is concerned, any complaints will be addressed via the respective channels, such as the Consumers Forum of Malaysia or the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

"MCMC can set certain parameters so that conventional calls or cellular calls are addressed. At the same time, we are also in the process of instructing the mobile network operators to work together and solve network issues," he told Sinar Daily when contacted.

Fahmi said some of the issues will be resolved via multi-operator core networks or commercial agreement between the telecommunication companies.

When asked about measures the Communication Ministry could take to address the country's poor call quality, Fahmi further explained that data consumption per capita in Malaysia has been increasing steadily.

However, he acknowledged that traditional telephony solutions, such as landlines, are not as widely used as before due to the preference for internet-based calls, known as Voice over Wi-Fi or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Fahmi stressed that the government provides the option for people to choose these internet-based solutions, while still allowing those who prefer landlines to continue using them.

He noted that the number of companies using traditional landline telephony solutions has decreased in line with current trends.