Butterworth: The Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) project for Armed Forces Family Housing (RKAT) nationwide is making significant strides, with several locations completed well ahead of schedule, some by as much as 11 to 14 months. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced the project's progress, highlighting its importance as a national initiative under a strategic collaboration between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), formalized through a memorandum of understanding signed on October 11, 2024.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the project encompasses over 59,000 RKAT units across 73 military camps throughout the country. Fahmi Fadzil shared that initial phases are moving forward smoothly, despite minor delays earlier due to security screening and vetting procedures for workers entering military camps to conduct installation works. The Communications Ministry's secretary-general, Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, was also present during the project inspection at the Butterworth Air Base Camp.

Fahmi emphasized the government's commitment to providing high-quality, affordable high-speed internet access for Malaysian Armed Forces personnel, thereby enhancing their digital well-being. He stressed the importance of cybersecurity as a key priority, with close coordination between the Ministry of Communications, the National Cyber Security Agency, MCMC, and the ATM. He assured that the situation is under control, with no cybersecurity issues of concern.

The project's implementation shows promising progress nationwide, with one military camp having fully completed the project and now operational, while six other camps have finished network installation and are undergoing integration and testing. Meanwhile, 62 camps are still in the implementation phase, involving civil infrastructure works and fibre optic installation. Another five camps will commence the project once the upgrading works on their RKAT facilities are completed.

At the Butterworth Air Base Camp, one of the four RKAT projects under its administration, RKAT Perumahan Pegawai, has already been completed and is operational, covering 30 housing units. Some residents have already subscribed to the broadband service. Under the initiative, ATM personnel residing in RKAT are offered fibre broadband packages at RM49 per month for speeds of up to 100 Mbps, with a promotional rate of RM39 per month for the first six months.