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Have you ever been somewhere in town where you don't have good mobile connectivity? Knowing where you can get good data coverage from your telco can be crucial, especially for people who want to move house or rent a co-working space. But how do you know if you're covered? Here are some general points to keep in mind.

 

Network coverage

Regardless of whether it's CelcomDigi, Maxis, or U Mobile - all telcos provide mobile Internet 'coverage' to various parts of Malaysia. If you see the 4G (or 5G if you have access) logo on your smartphone, you're connected by your mobile Internet provider. But if you're going somewhere unfamiliar and want to know if the location has coverage in advance, check your provider's network map.

Here are the links for the network map of major telcos in Malaysia:

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Some telcos will warn you if there's a service interruption in your area

Of course, some of these coverage maps aren't well made, like Unifi's green-on-green map (hello, contrast where?) But it should at least give you an estimate of whether a location is covered.

 

Signal boosting

So, now you know where you'll get coverage. But will your mobile Internet be smooth? A few things can affect your mobile Internet speed, such as the device you use and your location. For example, you may have faster connectivity in your living room. But the moment you walk into your room, the speed drops.

This is because your mobile data connectivity is often affected by your location, relative to the nearest network tower. The further away you are from a network tower, the poorer the network connectivity. Also, thick walls can attenuate the signal from a network tower, resulting in connection drops or slow Internet speeds. This is why elevators tend to have no signal, as these metal cages can cut out your telco's signal entirely.

In other words, you may experience a drastic drop in Internet speed just by moving 10 metres. As you can tell, this isn't something you can fix unless you move to a new house (or office). But you can get a signal booster to amplify the signal to your mobile devices. This could be a smart move for those who don't want to subscribe to a home fibre broadband, as you can cut down on your monthly utilities.

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A diagram showing how signal boosters work (image from LinkedIn)

As a reminder, you can legally get signal boosters only from telcos in Malaysia. These telcos are also the only companies that are allowed to install signal boosters, assuming your situation requires it. Unauthorised use of signal boosters will land you a fine from MCMC, so keep that in mind.

 

Speed test

Lastly, you can do speed tests in different spots of your home or office to identify problem areas. This can be done via the web or app versions of platforms like Ookla or nPerf. For instance, you can do a speed test in your living room, kitchen, bedroom, and even the toilet (you know why).

Ookla - https://www.speedtest.net/

nPerf - https://www.nperf.com/en/

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Your results may vary

Getting poor Internet connectivity and speeds throughout your whole house? Then, you may want to install a signal booster. If you're only renting the place, moving to another location is also an option, especially if stable mobile connectivity is critical for you.

 

That's all from us! As you can tell, poor mobile connectivity in Malaysia generally boils down to 'location'. But how about you? Is the mobile Internet in your area fast and smooth? Let us know in the comments on our Facebook page, and stay tuned to TechNave for more articles like this.