How good is your Internet?

 

MCMC’s new Nexus app lets you rate the service

PETALING JAYA: With consu­mers spending their hard-earned money on quality Internet ­services from telecommunication providers, the question remains: How can they ensure they are getting what they paid for?

On top of that, issues such as dropped connections, slow download and upload speeds, along with inconsistent Internet coverage throughout a premises leave many wondering whether the service they receive matches their subscription.

Recognising these concerns, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has introduced a new tool to empower consumers with insights into whether they are receiving adequate service.

Dubbed the MCMC Nexus application, the app allows users to assess their Internet speed, functionality and overall connection quality based on the Mandatory Standards for Quality of Service (MSQoS).

Try it now: The beta version of the newly developed MCMC Nexus app that accurately measures the speed and quality of the Internet service on your phone is available for download. — Low Boon Tat/The Star

Currently in its beta version, the app offers comprehensive speed test functionalities, inclu­ding measurements for download and upload speeds, jitter and ping across 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi networks.

The app will be officially introduced at the Malaysian pavilion of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that is taking place until March 6.

Businesses can also benefit from its route and building survey features.

Route surveys allow users to track connection quality along a specific route while building surveys enable users to determine Wi-Fi signal strength at different locations within a building.

“The information is then relay­ed in near real-time to both service providers and MCMC, allowing them to monitor service qua­lity.

“This enables proactive action to be taken to address issues,” MCMC commissioner Derek Fer­nandez (pic) said in an interview.

For best results, users should enable location settings and dis­able virtual private networks.

When asked how MCMC Nexus differs from other self-conducted internet speed tests, Fernandez explained that test results are directly transmitted to service providers and MCMC via their dashboards.

“The test results serve as indicators, alerting operators and regulators of problems that warrant further attention.

“This allows MCMC and telcos to deploy ground units to survey the affected area and enhance service quality,” he said.

Depending on location and com­plaint volume, ground teams can arrive within 48 hours to investigate issues.

The test results are displayed using a colour-coded system with green showing that the service meets minimum MSQoS and red, the opposite.

“However, a green indicator does not necessarily mean the service meets the contract standards agreed upon with the provider,” Fernandez clarified.

He emphasised that the app reflects the government and MCMC’s commitment to transpa­rency, fairness and cooperation in the telecommunications sector towards a sustainable and inclusive digital economy.

“People are human beings and assets to businesses – not pro­ducts,” he stressed.

The app’s development, operation and testing were led by MCMC’s Central Monitoring Divi­sion and Geospatial and Data Management Division, collectively known as the MCMC Nexus team.

Following the commission’s approval of the project on Jan 10 last year, Fernandez spearheaded the initiative.

“We had an in-house development team working alongside an external engine provider. More importantly, the app is proprieta­ry to MCMC,” he said, adding that it took one year to develop.

Fernandez also noted that telcos can benefit from the app as it aids network planning, congestion management and service optimisation.

“This tool can save telcos a lot of money since they don’t have to physically go to the ground to check, but instead utilise the data sent through the application to identify potential pain points.”

The beta version of the app is now available for Android users on Google Play Store, while the iOS version is currently in development.

The full version of the app is expected to be released by mid-2025.

Users can provide feedback on the beta testing phase by e-mailing nexus@mcmc.gov.my.

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Texting dilutes relationships

In our fast-paced world, texting is taking the place of face-to-face social encounters and devaluing our relationships. - AFP Photo

When people communicate with gadgets, rather than face-to-face; we increase the quantity, but perhaps not the quality, of our interactions.

I DON’T want to say something that is so painfully apparent that I get labelled as Captain Obvious, or even worse, as Admiral Apparent; but technology is changing the way we live.

Thank you, Ensign Evident.

Specifically, the way we socially interact is changing, and I’m not talking about our friendships on your favourite social media network. A recent study in the United States showed that more and more people are using their phones not to actually talk to anyone but to text.

The ratio of texts to phone calls was 5-1. In fact, texting is becoming the preferred method to ask someone out. That should come as no surprise, as the alternatives of the awkward phone call, or worse – the sweaty, white-knuckled face-to-face ask-out – are just terrible options; so terrible that it’s a wonder humans could even reproduce prior to the text message.

About one third of those surveyed said that they prefer to ask the person they are interested in to meet in a group setting, rather than meeting for a one-on-one traditional date.

The rationale, besides the obviousness of it being less awkward, is that if they don’t click, they will waste less time, as opposed to several hours on a date.

Which makes it seem that people are like paperbacks which should be judged by their synopsis before one commits to spend time with that person.

But why is texting becoming the way that we socially interact? It seems like the refuge of the introvert, but it’s so widespread that it can’t just be introverts who are choosing this method of communication. Extroverts – those assertive bold individuals that crave and seem to thrive off human interaction – must also be texting, even if it seems to go against their nature.

Why is this? The advantage to texting, even if you’re an extrovert, is that you engage others on your own time and pace. The great thing about texts is you can take the time to get it right, whereas in a face-to-face encounter, the right words may only come at the end of the conversation.

Also, phone calls and speaking face-to-face have the problem where you actually have to listen to the other person, you know ... talk. Even that takes time.

In a text message, first off, most people won’t send you a life story via text. Secondly, if you see a message more than a sentence long, you can simply skim it, or not read it at all and fire back an emoticon.

Not sure what to say? Or didn’t even bother reading? Send that smiley with the grimace, it’s emotionally ambiguous.

If people were telling a happy story, this Swiss army knife of emoticons looks sufficiently pleasant that they’ll think you get it; if the story was tragic, it looks dissatisfied enough that they’ll think you empathise with them. Emoticons are the inauthentic, ineffectual, pre-packaged greeting cards of text messaging.

Does this mean texting is making us all into self-centered introverts? Yes it does.

There’s no other way around it. If texting takes the edge off asking people for dates and conversing, it also takes the edge off rejecting people.

It’s hard to say “no” to someone face-to-face, but over a text message, it’s easy. That’s why there’re so many confrontational people in online forums and message boards on the Internet.

How many people do you argue with in real life? And how many people do you argue with online? If you’re sucked into actually commenting on the Internet, you’ll probably end up arguing with everyone!

If texting makes it easier to interact because the weight of interaction is reduced, it also makes our relationships more fleeting. Take for instance an interaction I had the other night on Steam, a gaming platform. I logged on with a couple of friends to get some online gaming going on. One of them introduced me to a friend, and we added him to our party.

Now when I say introduced, I mean he typed “My friend wants to play”, and he then popped up on the messaging service and said, “Hi”. That was it. He was in.

One of my friends just disappeared – went AFK or “Away From Keyboard” – something that probably wouldn’t happen in real life. It’s not like we’d agree to play squash and then somebody just walked away without telling us, that would be rude. But online, it was accepted.

Then my other friend had trouble with his computer and had to reboot. I ended up playing with the friend of a friend, who I didn’t know at all, except that we’d said hello.

Now that is the great thing about the Internet and texting. We started playing and it was fine, communicating like we knew each other, polite laughter and all. Halfway through the game, I started having trouble with my connection, and thinking it might be a sign (to perhaps go off and write this article!), I exited the game without bothering to sign back in and give an explanation to my new “friend”.

I too had just walked out of the squash game with no explanation, because I knew it wouldn’t really bother the stranger I’d been playing with, and I’m sure it didn’t bother him.

Communicating via text is great, it’s easy, it puts things on our own terms. But maybe human relations were never meant to be that simple, and ultimately, relationships are reciprocal – we get out of them what we put in, and if all we put in are text messages ... then that’s really all we’ll get back.

Big Smile No Teeth by JASON GODFREY
Jason Godfrey can be seen hosting The LINK on Life Inspired (Astro B.yond Ch 728).

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