KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — The cost to implement phase one of the Jalinan Digital Negara (Jendela) initiative, from 2020 till 2022, is estimated to be RM28 billion, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus.

He said 60 per cent of the costs was funded by commercial parties while the rest was from the government through the Universal Service Provision Fund.

"Our focus on Jendela is that the expenditure used for the implementation of the initiative would be via the private sector and government. We monitor each of these expenditure, in that they (private) have to deliver everything then only will they claim from the government.

"MCMC ensures everything is in good working order,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme entitled Kesalinghubungan Berkualiti Kesejahteraan Rakyat (Quality Connectivity for People’s Well-Being) last night.

In addition, he said MCMC was working with the state governments on the total expenditure for the implementation of Jendela in their respective states.

"MCMC went down to the states and they want to know how much is spent for their state. We also have that breakdown and will also share with them because the state is the main stakeholder as they will be doing the rolling out (Jendela),” he said.

Jendela is designed to provide wider coverage and a better broadband quality experience for the people as the country’s moves to 5G technology, implemented in stages with Phase One from 2020 to 2022 and Phase Two from 2022 to 2025. — Bernama