Malé, Maldives – Reduced internet prices will be announced in a virtual ceremony by the President’s Office tomorrow.
Relevant stakeholders held a meeting on the first of this month to discuss the lowered prices. Local media reports that the government proposed 5Mbps at MVR 250 for 30 GB (2mbps throttle speed), 15Mbps at MVR 500 for 100 GB (2mbps throttle speed), 25Mbps at MVR 750 for 200 GB (2mbps throttle speed). These prices are for fixed broadband.
In May, the then acting Communications Minister Fayyaz said that talks are being held for the past 2 months to ensure investment opportunities in Maldives in the telecommunications sector and reduce internet prices.
The incumbent government’s Strategic Action Plan (SAP) states that efforts to lower internet prices will begin in the year 2022.
Speaking at recently on the occasion of World Telecommunications Day, Incumbent Minister Aminath Shauna has said that internet quality will be improved and prices will be lowered.
Former Tech. Minister Maleeh who was removed from office by a parliamentary vote of no confidence was highly criticized by the public for not fulfilling the promise to lower internet prices.
Recently Maleeh that the government had no intention of lowering the prices, following a tweet by former acting Tech. Minister Fayyaz Ismail who said that the government is working on bringing more significant changes.
Fayyaz was addressing a comment made by State Minister Tech., Ali Solih that the presidential pledge of lowering internet prices had been fulfilled.
Economic Minister of Maldives, Fayyaz Ismail had stated on November 15, 2020, that they expect the pricing of telecom services to get cheaper as the government has decided to give another company the license to provide telecom services in the Maldives. The lower internet prices were supposed to go into effect in 2021, however, no significant changes have been implemented to this end.
