 | This articlemay need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia'squality standards.You can help. Thetalk page may contain suggestions.(August 2020) |
Brunei possesses an extensive system of telecommunications, including telephone and mobile phone service, internet service, television and radio. The majority of Bruneians have access to these services: for every 100 Bruneians there are 118 mobile phone subscriptions, and 99% of the population uses the internet. The official radio and television network, Radio Television Brunei (RTB), operates five channels, and satellite systems make foreign broadcasts accessible as well.[1]
Telephone service throughout the country is excellent; international service is good to Southeast Asia, Middle East, Western Europe, and the US.[1]
Landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3, SJC, AAG, Lubuan-Brunei Submarine Cable via optical telecommunications submarine cables that provides links to Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and the US; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Pacific Ocean) (2019)[1]
IDD Country Code: +673
Brunei has 3 major telco namely DST, Imagine (TelBru) and Progresif which offers prepaid and postpaid plan. UNN is the Single Wholesale Network with holds all the telecommunication infrastructures in Brunei.
Brunei's Internet service was monopolized by Telekom Brunei. ADSL speeds were ranging from 512 kbit/s to the maximum speed of 1 Mbit/s throughADSL2+ broadband. 1 Mbit/s was introduced in 2006 and was priced at BND$128 per month (Equivalent to Singapore currency). It was well known that the Brunei's broadband ranging from 512 kbit/s to 1 Mbit/s is one of the most expensive in the world. The limited market in Brunei means that new developments in the telecommunications sector is stagnant.
In 2002, Telekom Brunei was incorporated become Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru). In 2008, the internet were improved with dramatically with speeds ranging from 1 Mbit/s to maximum speed of 5 Mbit/s. Price starting from B$65 to B$105 per month respectively.
| Bandwidth | Plan | Charges (BND) |
|---|---|---|
| 1Mbit/s | Value Surf | $39/month |
| 2Mbit/s | Lite Surf | $59/month |
| 3.5Mbit/s | Super Surf | $79/month |
| 5Mbit/s | Premium Surf | $105/month |
In 2012, Telekom Brunei started deploying itsFTTH network capable of 100 Mbit/s through a contract awarded toHuawei.[3][4] They aimed to provide FTTH coverage to around 85% of the population by 2017.[4]
In 2016 Telbru drastically reduced the price and increased the speeds of its broadband plans. Due to the fact that a significant number of people were now connected via FTTH and not via the old copper cables.[5]
On 1 March 2018 Telbru rolled out their new 'high speed' broadband plans[5] They also split the plans which have unlimited quota into 'unlimited plans'[5]
In 2017 Forbes reported that Brunei had the 4th most expensive broadband service in the world[6][7][8]
| Type of plan | Bandwidth Up To | Monthly Charge | Quota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quota Based | 10 Mbit/s | $25 | 50GB |
| Quota Based | 10 Mbit/s | $39 | 100GB |
| Quota Based | 15 Mbit/s | $59 | 200GB |
| Quota Based | 20 Mbit/s | $75 | 250GB |
| Quota Based | 20 Mbit/s | $99 | 350GB |
| High Speed Quota Based | 30 Mbit/s | $75 | 50GB |
| High Speed Quota Based | 45 Mbit/s | $135 | 100GB |
| High Speed Quota Based | 60 Mbit/s | $240 | 200GB |
| High Speed Quota Based | 100 Mbit/s | $290 | 250GB |
| High Speed Quota Based | 300 Mbit/s | $350 | 350GB |
| Unlimited | 30 Mbit/s | $199 | N/A |
| Unlimited | 45 Mbit/s | $259 | N/A |
| Unlimited | 60 Mbit/s | $339 | N/A |
| Unlimited | 100 Mbit/s | $459 | N/A |
| Unlimited | 300 Mbit/s | $999 | N/A |
On 4 September 2019, The UNN took over all of the telecommunications infrastructure in Brunei.[10][11][12] By doing so they aimed to provide equal infrastructure to all the isps in the country. This brought an end to a long held monopoly byImagine Sdn Bhd (Formerly Known as Telbru) over the home broadband market with the introduction of Datastream Digital's 'Infinity' home broadband plans on 24 January 2020.[13][14][15]
In some areas residents may enjoy some of the Malaysian TV channels
All radio stations in the country use FM. 5 radio stations are broadcast by the state controlledRadio Television Brunei. The British Forces Broadcast Service (BFBS) broadcasts 2 other stations in the country. Reception from some Malaysia stations can be received.[2]
In 2023, ULAP Networks, a global cloud communications company, was awarded a Services-Based Operations (SeTi) license by the Authority for Info-communications Technology Industry (AITI). This license allows ULAP to offer telecommunications services including voice and cloud infrastructure within Brunei, supporting the country's digital transformation and connectivity goals.[19]
This article incorporatespublic domain material fromThe World Factbook.CIA.
