KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 22): Pertama Digital Bhd is venturing into fibre broadband services.

In a bourse filing on Wednesday (Dec 22), the firm, which backs fintech and govtech companies, said it is in advanced investment and collaboration negotiations with iFIBER Holdings Sdn Bhd that were formalised in a memorandum of understanding.

It said through this partnership, Pertama Digital and iFIBER seek to deliver gigabit speed internet connectivity at affordable rates.

It said iFIBER is a Malaysian telecommunications company that creates an open-access network which enables users to instantly switch between multiple internet service providers (ISPs).

The company builds last-mile internet infrastructure to provide affordable yet super-fast fibre broadband to premises in Malaysia.

Pertama Digital said iFIBER has connected homes and businesses to gigabit-speed fibre broadband in Kota Kinabalu and plans to expand to Klang Valley and Johor Bahru.

Pertama Digital director of strategy Saify Akhtar said Southeast Asia’s recent flight to digital has resulted in an overwhelming demand for high bandwidth internet services.

"This is important to Pertama Digital as we seek to promote equal access and participation in these productive opportunities by a wider section of the rakyat, regardless of their geographical location and socioeconomic status," he said.

Meanwhile, iFIBER executive chairman Wan Mohalina Wan Mohammad said through the service, subscribers can select from the widest range of ISPs on flexible terms.

"Our customers can even choose to upgrade their connection speeds instantaneously depending on their specific needs," she said.

At midday break, Pertama Digital added 0.5 sen to 59 sen with 7.21 million shares traded.