Internet speed has come a long way since dial-up. We're now able to video call our loved ones, play multiplayer online games, run an e-commerce business and stream HD movies, all without a hitch. And this is all thanks to the advancement of internet broadband technology coverage that now offers fibre unlimited internet plans that are affordable.
With so many Internet service providers in Malaysia such as Unifi, Maxis and Celcom, how do you know who offers the best and fastest home broadband plan? How do you decide which deal to go for?
To help you choose the ISP and speed that suits you, here's a quick breakdown comparing some of the best wireless, internet broadband and mobile plans as well as the best service provider out there.
Note: Our list is based on the value of the plans (fibre, prepaid and postpaid) and the service provider's reliability, as they are the most common factors when it comes to decision-making for Malaysians.
Editor
Jodee Tan chevron_right
Table of Contents
10 Best Internet Broadband Plans in Malaysia This Year
Broadband plans for home (Fixed line):
Overview
Have a gaming hub for yourself and your friends or family? TIME Internet is arguably one of the best home broadband providers you can get at the moment. And this 1Gbps plan will not let your whole party cry over lag.
Their fibre internet plans are constantly known as the best value-for-money. In fact, the internet service provider has shocked the Telco industry from the get-go, offering internet speeds of up to 1Gbps with prices that many Telco brands can't offer.
Now, if you absolutely want the fastest internet for everything else, especially online gaming, TIME has its 1Gbps plan for RM199 only. Otherwise, you can settle with their other plans starting from RM99 per month for 100mbps, their bestseller is definitely the RM139 per month plan for 500mbps.
Details
- Get 1x WiFi 6 router and 1x WiFi 6 mesh node
- Time Voice Home (Basic Pay-as-you-use)
- 1Gbps/500Mbps Download/Upload speeds
Who is this for?
Time's internet speeds are constantly valued for their price vs. amount of data ratio and are perfect for the active internet user. Therefore, if you can, do opt for them as the brand's internet coverage is mainly limited to high-rise buildings.
Overview
Living in the city and in a high-rise? Well, you should look no further than TIME's own 100% Fibre internet plans, aimed to provide you with consistent internet speeds.
This is the best value-for-money and one of the cheapest broadband plan that you can get at this price. With 500Mbps internet speed, this plan is perfect for anything including HD streaming, con-calls and multiplayer gaming. Moreover, it has a flat rate of 8 cents per minute for calls to anywhere in the world - that's really cheap!
Details
Details
- Get 1x WiFi 6 router and 1x WiFi 6 mesh node
- Time Voice Home (Basic Pay-as-you-use)
- 500Mbps/500Mbps Download/Upload speeds
Who is this for?
If you don't need to use high-speed internet constantly such as gaming, this plan should suit you just fine. The only downside is that this plan isn't compatible with landed homes. Additionally, do check out TIME's gift and prizes of the month, available only to new subscribers. Another hidden goodie to being a TIME internet subscriber is their relatively low latency.
Overview
Looking for high-speed internet for your home? This fibre broadband deal might be what your house needs, be it if you live in a condominium or a landed home.
Part of what makes this unlimited data broadband plan attractive is its easy accessibility for most Malaysians. Their service centres are widely available, and you get a total of free 600-minute calls too, with 10 sens per minute charges applied once that amount is used up.
Internet download speeds are set at 500mbps, with upload speeds capped at 100mbps. Sounds modest for most homes, doesn't it? The catch here is that you'll have to sign a 24-month contract to enjoy this otherwise value-for-money deal.
Details
- Router: Wi-Fi 6 certified router
- Free access to Unifi TV App
- Free speed upgrade
- 6 months free speed upgrade to 800Mbps
- 30 days free trial
- No commitment, cancel without penalty within the first 30-days free trial
- 24 hours service restoration
- Get RM50 bill rebate if your service is not restored within 24 hours
Who is this for?
Unifi has recommended this for families with moderate internet usage. You should be able to work and play as well as streaming, gaming, and download large files with little to no lag.
Overview
The next best plan for those who'd like to keep things simpler; unifi's 300Mbps plan is perfect for you.
Getting the plan entitles you to download speeds of up to 300Mbps, and upload speeds of up to 100Mbps. You also get a free Unifi Plus Box, which grants you access to Unifi's TV Ultimate Plus pack, letting you watch from over 70+ premium channels + enjoy 8 streaming platforms including Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar.
Compared to the 500mbps plan, this offer is perfect for a household that loves their TV and entertainment streaming platforms, and is reasonable for most homes with 3 to 4 people.
Details
- Router: Wi-Fi 6-certified router
- 6 months FREE speed upgrade to 500Mbps
- No commitment, cancel without penalty within the first 30 days FREE TRIAL
- Get RM50 bill rebate if your service is not restored within 24 hours
Who is this for?
A plan that's suitable for most types of landed homes, the 300Mbps speed is good for your daily video streaming and light online gaming. For your reference, the plan is able to download HD movie files of 3GB in 3 minutes and lets you stream 4k resolution movies with ease.
Overview
For those who are looking to get an internet home plan whether it's for a condo or a terrace/landed property, CelcomDigi has made it more accessible for you to own speedy internet so you can stream everything with an unlimited download quota.
Compared to Unifi, CelcomDigi's fibre broadband deals are quite similarly priced. But we have to hand it to CelcomDigi for their 1Gbps internet plan. At RM269, this is a great deal than many other competitors, especially for bigger households.
To be frank, this particular 1Gbps plan allows for comfortable unlimited HD streaming and competitive gaming sessions for almost everyone in the house as well (5 pax, more or less).
Details
- Free WiFi 6 router & installation
- Up to RM50 rebate when paired with selected Postpaid plans
- Unlimited calls to all networks with Postpaid
Who is this for?
If you're a demanding user doing anything and everything possible, this plan is the one for you. With 1Gbps worth of download speeds and 200Mbps upload speeds, this plan is for the true entertainment consumer.
Additionally, CelcomDigi recommends pairing this plan with a Postpaid plan so you get eligibility to purchase certain entertainment units such as a Samsung Crystal TV, PlayStation 5, or even a Samsung Side-by-Side refrigerator.
Overview
Did you know that Astro has several broadband plans for your home? They are great for TV-owners as the plans come with several free channels for your family to enjoy.
Consider Astro's Fibre 100Mbps plan, in which the starter pack offers free HD channels of your choice. Using this Astro plan also entitles you free access to Astro Go app on your phone.
Details
- Comes with free Wifi 6 Router
- Free 1-month Astro Fibre
Who is this for?
If you have quite a sizeable family, this plan is recommended by Astro for up to 6 users carrying out similar activities such as HD streaming on multiple devices.
Overview
Part of making sure that businesses are up and running so that clients can easily connect to them is a reliable and steady internet that doesn't break down easily. Being one of the top performers for consistent internet speeds and services, it's not surprising to see Maxis offering several broadband business plans to cater to several types of businesses.
Their 500Mbps plan is ideal for offices with up to 60 employees and also comes with 1 IP unlimited voice line. Other highlights are that the plan also comes with free mesh WiFi (next-gen WiFi 6), consultation if you are switching over, free after-sales support and free internet security setup.
Details
- Includes ATA box and DECT phone
- Comes with 200 shareable minutes/line and competitive call rates
- RM25/month deal per line for Voice Connect Standard
Who is this for?
Working in a small agency? Need just the internet and not really the calls? Maxis has optimised this plan to work well for the modern organisation where everything is almost digital. Perfect for teams under 30, this plan should still do well at its maximum capacity of serving up to 60 pax.
Broadband plans for mobile:
Overview
Did you know? There's a limited amount of internet data that you can share via hotspot with an unlimited plan. With this, it can be difficult to find an internet plan that lets you share even just over 10GB worth of hotspot internet.
Introducing Yoodo's unlimited plan, which is Malaysia's first unlimited, fully customizable internet mobile plan. When comparing to other similar mobile broadband plans, Yoodoo's has a good balance within internet speed, price and the shareable amount of hotspot internet.
For Yoodo's Unlimited mobile plan, you can customize the megabyte speed per second between 3 to 6, get up to 4000 minutes for voice call, and up to 300 messages. Of course, you can choose to have up to 20GB worth of hotspot data.
By choosing (1) 6mbps speed, (2) 100-minute voice call and (3) 20GB hotspot internet with (4) 0 messages, it will set you RM73 per month. You also have the choice to have add-on data for specific apps such as Spotify, PUBG, Whatsapp, Facebook and Instagram.
Details
- Price from RM20 per month for high speed internet
- Price from RM30 per month for unlimited internet
- Order a free SIM card for free online
Who is this for?
Many internet plans may include data to a specific service or app which you may not necessarily use. If you're constantly struggling to ration your internet due to "fixed" plans, perhaps it's time for you to consider this plan.
Overview
The Celcom Prepaid Xpax Unlimited plan lets you enjoy unlimited internet speeds capped at 6 mbps after you finish your 10GB high-speed internet quota!
You don't just get to enjoy endless data, but also internet speed at 100 mbps, an extra 3GB of internet for hotspot purposes and unlimited calls. Otherwise, top-up RM3 to your plan for some boosted 5G internet when you need it, while subscribed to the unlimited plan.
Details
- 6Mbps Unlimited Internet
- Extra 3GB Hotspot
- Unlimited Calls
- 10GB High Speed Internet
- Speed up to 100 Mbps with 5G Booster
Who is this for?
If you're all about just that internet life with no plans for additional calls whatsoever, you have to check out Celcom Prepaid Xpax Unlimited. What's great about this plan is that you can choose to top up as low as RM8 for one day of unlimited data if you're on another prepaid plan,
Overview
Strapped for cash? While the benefits of going postpaid are handy for many, sometimes we aren't sure about committing to a postpaid contract and thus, going prepaid is the best option for people who don't want to stick to a phone number.
This plan gives you not just 5GB or 10GB in data, compared to other telcos, at least. Instead, you can enjoy 30GB worth of data when it's renewed every month for just RM35. The internet plan consists of unlimited internet for social apps such as Instagram and TikTok + 3GB Extra Hotspot exclusive with auto-renewal streaming quota.
Details
- Unlimited calls
- Eligible to add on boosted internet with 5G speeds
- Easily top up on Digi Mobile app
Who is this for?
The biggest upside to owning prepaid broadband plans for your own mobile use is definitely the cheaper price. And one of the cheapest broadband plans in Malaysia to opt for is Digi's Broadband 35 prepaid plan.
FAQ:
- Why Should You Care About "Mandatory Standards On Access Pricing"?
Since 2018, on track to provide Malaysians with the best prices when accessing fast internet and data, the MCMC has implemented the Mandatory Standards On Access Pricing in an effort to regulate the broadband landscape.
What this essentially does is that broadband service providers are now subjected to price reviews with MCMC via consultation of the public opinion.
Due to this implementation, broadband services in Malaysia have since maintained fair and lower prices for relatively faster speed. With this, MCMC will be keeping a close eye on the broadband services to avoid monopolising the market.
We're aware that with 5G becoming more accessible to the public, there might be another price review and regulations to the current internet plans. Hence, it's important to know the average price of your intended broadband plan from local broadband providers around you.
- Fibre vs. wireless broadband
Most Malaysian internet service providers (ISP) will offer you these types of connection choices, depending on your lifestyle and usage preferences. But, which do you really need?
Fibre broadband: As its name literally indicates, this type of internet connection refers to data transferred via fibre optic cables either fully or partially. Using glass wires (literally looking like 'fibres'), data is transferred using light signals from sender to recipient. While the connection is very fast, they are best for high-rise buildings.
This type of broadband allows for:
- Fast transfer speeds at up to 10Gbps
- Has great temperature resistance
- Can transfer data in longer distances
Wireless broadband: This type of broadband refers to using a local area network or wide area network. Here, data is sent via electromagnetic waves from the telco towers to your mobile modem and then to your devices. Compared to fibre broadband, wireless broadband internet uses copper to send internet data around. But, unlike fibre, wireless broadband can reach both high rise and landed properties.
This type of broadband is:
- More affordable
- Easier to set up (just a SIM card and a modem!)
- Available to most home types including landed
- Tips for choosing an Internet plan
This may seem like a no-brainer, yet you may not realise what areas should you look into when choosing the right internet service provider (ISP) for your intended internet broadband plan. Here are the most important factors to consider:
Availability
The first thing to start with is, what ISP centres or Telco towers are widely available in your neighbourhood. Of course, the more Telco towers (giant antennas to broadcast telecommunication) of the ISP are available in your area, the more stable the connections are going to be.
This means that while some ISP may have great reviews, they don't necessarily mean they will do the best for you.
Home internet isn't something you want to change very frequently as compared to, say, a streaming service, because there are set up to do before you can use the internet plan. Therefore, ensure that the ISP's coverage and centres are widely available in your area.
Speed
Of course, speed is a huge factor in determining what you need. But here, we'll need you to look at how much data you actually need. And this ties back to what activities you'll actually do with your internet.
Say, you want to play competitive games such as PUBG and likewise. So, go for 1Gbps, right? Nope!
In fact, the minimum suggested speed you'll need for competitive gaming is 25mbps. This is why the minimum suggested internet speed for most people is at least 50 or 100mbps.
So from here, depending on what your usual internet download speeds are in a day, you determine how much you need based on how big your household is. In short, choosing the right internet speed is based on how much it can be comfortably split among everyone at home (independently) without any lag. (Ex. 5 people using 25mbps for gaming at the same time = at least 200mbps download speed)
Below is a quick table on the recommended amount of Mbps internet for your home:
| Speed | Household size (pax) | Activities |
| 5 - 25mbps | 1 - 3 | Simple web browsing, emails, social media, music streaming, watch videos 720p & below |
| 25 - 50mbps | 1 - 3 | Watch HD & 4K videos, gaming, casual work (from home) |
| 50 - 100mbps | 2 - 4 | Watch 4K videos from multiple devices, gaming, home security devices |
| 100 - 500mbps | 3 - 5 | Gaming, having a home/small office, 4K streaming from multiple devices, smart home devices, gaming |
| 500mbps - 1Gbps | 3 - 5+ | Home/medium-sized office, 4K streaming from multiple devices, have multiple home/office security and smart devices |
Source: reviews.org
More: Simple Steps To Help Speed Up Your Internet
Reliability
Finally, you'll want to make sure that the ISP's customer support is adequate for you in your living area. This doesn't just mean having excellent service in physical help centres but also call centres, as well as fewer connectivity disruptions whether it's for your home broadband or for your mobile needs.
- Internet plan comparison for Malaysia - by brands
Whatever your preferences are, or how much of a value you are looking for, always choose the smoothest internet service provider that'll work stably in your home or living area.
Otherwise, if you have the privilege of choosing between brands, there are plenty of consumers out there who have their preferences. From this perspective, we'll briefly touch on how each of the best internet service providers performed accordingly to Malaysians.
1. Internet plans with the best coverage: Celcom
You may see Celcom as either having reasonable or expensive deals. But there's one thing that many users (and even analytical studies) can agree on; it is the internet service provider with the widest and most stable coverage across Malaysia (on 4G availability).
According to several reviews, Celcom also provides the best reasonability for its terms & conditions, as well as prices. For their unlimited plans, there is no hard quota limit, but bandwidth will be limited if abused.
2. Internet plan with the best speeds and latency: Maxis
This telco brand is one of Malaysia's most stable internet service providers alongside Celcom. Although their mobile plans with the internet are slightly more on the pricier side for the amount of data you get, you cannot deny that their speeds and latency are one of the fastest and lowest, respectively.
By getting their unlimited internet prepaid pass (which will fall under Hotlink), you can enjoy good internet speeds, especially if you consume a lot of videos which is frequent on social media and streaming apps.
3. Internet plan with the best value: Digi
This title was closely tied with UMobile's internet plan choices, but we have to give it to Digi for their wider broadband plans to homes and mobile, as well as wider coverage in Malaysia.
Digi may not always be the fastest in speed or the widest in coverage compared to the other two. But, it shines in its value, especially for urbanised areas. They have many deals that offer a high ratio of data amount to price and have lucrative lifestyle deals that can be enjoyed online and offline too. Plus, Digi's customers are often gifted with free top-ups in their plans.