PUTRAJAYA — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been recognised with the Digital Inclusion Award in the Agency Awards: Digital Society category at the Malaysia Digital Transformation Awards 2025.
The prestigious award was presented during the GovInsider Live MY.AI Day 2025 held at Le Méridien Hotel, Putrajaya, in recognition of MCMC Nexus’s contribution to enhancing digital connectivity across Malaysia.
MCMC Commissioner Derek Fernandez, who accepted the award on behalf of the commission, expressed his gratitude for the recognition: “On behalf of MCMC, I am honoured to receive the Digital Inclusion Award for MCMC Nexus. We sincerely appreciate the organisers of GovInsider Live MY.AI Day 2025 for this meaningful recognition.”
Why MCMC Nexus was recognised
MCMC Nexus is a consumer-oriented platform designed to ensure fairness in service delivery by providing reliable, transparent information on 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi networks.
“MCMC Nexus is a unique and transparent tool created with the consumer’s best interests at heart,” said the MCMC representative.
Through its crowd-sourced data, real-time feedback, and integration with national connectivity efforts, MCMC Nexus remains a reliable tool for both consumers and policymakers.
MCMC Nexus was celebrated for its innovative approach to providing Malaysians with transparent, real-time access to internet service quality data.
The app, powered by crowd-sourced insights, allows users to evaluate their experience on 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi networks.
“The app provides real-time, crowd-sourced insights that help users better understand their connectivity experience, while supporting more targeted improvements to digital connectivity nationwide,” said the MCMC representative.
Fernandez highlighted the uniqueness of MCMC Nexus: “This app is very special because it allows a consumer to know if they are getting what they paid for, ensuring that they are not being shortchanged. It measures the quality parameters of a call and determines whether the service meets the required minimum standards.”
He further explained how the app empowers users: “When you activate the app, it measures core quality, and the data is shared with both the service provider and MCMC, ensuring transparency.”
The app’s design allows users to see if they are receiving the promised service: “If you find that the service isn’t up to standard—say, you’re paying for 100 Mbps but getting only 50—then you can choose to make a complaint through MCMC,” Fernandez said.
“This tool ensures that both the consumer and service provider have the same data points, promoting fairness.”
He added, “This is the first of its kind in the world that allows the citizen, the service provider, and the regulator to view the same data at the same time.” With nearly 100 million data points already generated, the app has proven invaluable in pinpointing issues:
“It even helps you find areas where your signal is dropping, whether you’re driving or at home. This data is crucial for service providers to improve their services and for customers to ensure they are getting the service they paid for.”
Fernandez discussed the broader vision behind the app’s development.
“The app was developed in-house by MCMC with my team, from geospatial to MCMC, to create our own technology. It’s not an external product, and the intellectual property belongs to MCMC.”
He emphasised the importance of developing homegrown technology: “I initiated this development with the aim to show that Malaysia can create its own technology, just like Proton did with cars. We must stop being dependent on foreign products and start creating our own solutions.”
Reflecting on the financial benefits of MCMC Nexus, Fernandez pointed out, “The telcos now don’t need to pay subscription fees to third-party services for measuring data quality. They can use our app to assess their service quality themselves. Similarly, MCMC no longer needs to rely on private vendors for this information.”
The app also serves to reduce costs: “Previously, we had to pay for foreign data measuring services, which were expensive and affected our economy. By developing this in Malaysia, we are saving money and contributing to the growth of local technology.”
Fernandez also discussed the resilience required to develop the app: “It wasn’t easy, and there was a lot of resistance initially, but MCMC’s commitment, supported by Tan Sri Salim, was crucial in helping us develop this technology independently.”
A groundbreaking tool for transparency
Fernandez went on to explain the app’s practical features: “MCMC Nexus allows users to measure Wi-Fi quality at home and assess areas of poor coverage. It’s incredibly easy to use and available for download on both Android and iOS.” He emphasised the app’s commitment to security: “It’s been tested and certified internationally as a safe app, ensuring that users’ data remains secure.”
Another key feature of MCMC Nexus is its ability to transmit non-compliant results in near real time: “When a test result doesn’t meet the Minimum Service Quality standards, it is sent immediately to MCMC and the service provider, allowing for swift improvements.”
Commitment to digital equity
The recognition of MCMC Nexus highlights the broader goal of ensuring equitable access to essential digital services.
“The award reflects the importance of making digital technology available to all Malaysians, regardless of their background, location, or income,” said the MCMC representative.
As part of national digital initiatives like JENDELA, MCMC Nexus plays a critical role in advancing Malaysia’s digital economy. “It reinforces our efforts to ensure that connectivity is a cornerstone of Malaysia’s digital transformation,” Fernandez added.
Looking to the future, MCMC remains focused on advancing digital inclusivity and transparency.
“I think it is important that as a regulator we must show by our actions we are here to help and protect the public and not only industry or businesses,” Fernandez said.
The citizen pays their hard earned money for telecommunication services and should be entitled to know in a transparent manner whether they are getting the services paid for.”
The service provided is also entitled to know the quality of service their customers are getting and be able to efficiently plan their network.”
MCMC nexus achieves all this and enables regulator, service provider and subscriber to see the same measurement at the same time.” – November 17, 2025