The Prime Minister of Malaysia announced the Youth Communications Package (YCP) during the 2013 Budget on December 28. The initiative will give the youth of the country to get a $65 US or MYR200 rebate on chosen 3G smartphones that are not over $163US or MYR500. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is ready to receive applications for the YCP program from people who are aged between 21 and 30 and the registration will commence from January 1, 2013.
The basic purpose of offering YCP to young people in Malaysia is to enable them to get online, so they can empower themselves by accessing education and information on the move thanks to cheaper smartphones.
Research studies that have been carried out by the Ministry indicate that more than 90 percent of mobile phone users in the country are earning less than RM 3,000. Data further shows that 87 percent of these users were found with non 3G handsets. The YCP program will focus on underprivileged youths to bolster the number of smartphone numbers in the demographic. There are some restrictions, but the main aim is to enable young people especially in rural areas to avail the broadband facilities by getting their hands on a top end mobile.
Explaining the program, Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi who is Chairman of MCMC, said that, “The idea is to spread the incentive across to those who do not yet use smartphones. We really want to help those who cannot afford to change phones to upgrade from their old 2G phones to a basic 3G smartphone. Those who can afford phones priced above RM500 are really not in the intended category or target market. Some of those phones can reach prices of over RM2,500 without contract. A RM200 rebate does not even make a dent but if the phone is priced at RM500, a RM200 rebate goes a long way. Again, the target is the lower income group and the youths.”
This program is available on a first come first serve basis and will be valid until the stocks of chosen smartphones last.
Although the list of 3G handsets that MCMC is offering to the youth does not include very high end smartphones the available devices are a pretty fair selection of mobile phones. Stocks includes Sony Xperia Tipo, Samsung Galaxy Mini, Chat, Pocket and Y, Nokia Asha 305, 308 and 311, Nokia Lumia 610, Nokia 2730 and 7230, LG Optimus L3, HTC Wildfire, Alcatel 993D, OneTouch Inspire 2, Huawei Ideos X3, The Buzz Phone and a few others. See the full list here.
Source: TNW
Photo: TNW
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