The Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil now shared, stating that Malaysia is expected to use telecommunications services directly from satellites, called "Direct-To-Device", by as early as 2026 or 2027.
With this offering, it will allow the satellite to directly connect to the user's smartphone, without the need for any additional hardware. This, at the same time, allows the satellite to operate as if it were a telecommunication tower. This deployment will offer 100% coverage, as hard-to-reach areas are covered with this satellite-based access.
Speaking about it, the Minister of Communications stated that Malaysia is expected to use this "Direct-To-Device" service as early as 2026 or 2027. For now, Malaysia is in discussions with three international firms that manage such technology, but there are still no applications for its use.
Apart from Malaysia, several other countries are also looking at it, and it is still in the testing stage.