Opensignal: Malaysia’s Mobile Data Consumption Is Way Higher Than Other SEA Countries

The impact of the Movement Control Order (MCO) on data consumption in Malaysia has been well-documented by various parties including the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission MCMC) itself. However, a new report from Opensignal has shown that the demand for mobile data in our country is generally much higher than in other Southeast Asian countries.

Using data that was gathered from January 2020 to March 2021, Malaysia mobile data consumption has steadily increased from February 2020 before hitting the first peak in April 2020 which coincides with the early part of MCO 1.0. The demand then drops before it steadily picked up again from July 2020 onwards and reached the second peak in February 2021.

While Opensignal didn’t provide the exact amount of data consumption for each month, the network analytical company pointed out that the April 2020 mobile data consumption in Malaysia is 30.7% higher than in January. Additionally, the difference between consumption in January 2019 and January 2021 is around 35.2%.

With an average consumption rate of 26.4GB per user in January 2021, it is apparently the highest in Southeast Asia:

Opensignal has noted in its report that the massive surge of mobile data consumption showed that telcos in Malaysia faced a greater challenge as compared to their counterparts in other SEA countries.

Similarly, this may explain why some local telcos such as Celcom and Maxis have recently experienced noticeable declines in terms of speed. On another hand, the analytical firm was also quick to point out that JENDELA may help things become better.

Philippines accuses China of blocking its ships around South China Sea

The Philippine government has protested the Chinese coast guard's harassment of Philippine coast guard ships patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday.

It was the latest of dozens of recent protests by Manila's foreign affairs department, along with increasingly acerbic remarks by the country's top diplomat and defence chief about Chinese actions in the disputed waters. The high-profile feud has escalated despite President Rodrigo Duterte's friendly stance toward China.

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. used an obscene phrase in a tweet demanding China get out of Philippine-claimed areas. “What are you doing to our friendship?” Locsin asked. “You're like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend,.”

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana rejected China's demand that the Philippines end its patrols in the disputed region. “While we acknowledge that China's military capability is more advanced than ours, this does not prevent us from defending our national interests and our dignity as a people with all that we have,” Lorenzana said in a video message late Sunday,

In the latest incident, the Department of Foreign Affairs said it “has protested the shadowing, blocking, dangerous manoeuvr and radio challenges by the Chinese coast guard of Philippine coast guard vessels conducting legitimate maritime patrols and training exercises” from April 24 to 25 near Scarborough Shoal off the northwestern Philippines.

Both countries claim the rich fishing area, which China effectively seized in 2012 by surrounding it with its coast guard and surveillance ships after a tense standoff with Philippine vessels.

The department said it also protested “the incessant, illegal, prolonged and increasing presence of Chinese fishing vessels and maritime militia vessels in Philippine maritime zones” in the disputed waters. It said hundreds of Chinese vessels have been spotted by Philippine law enforcement agencies from January to March this year in areas around Scarborough Shoal and Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, which Filipinos call Pagasa.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has asked the Philippines to respect what it calls Chinese sovereignty in the disputed waters and “stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes.” China claims virtually all of the South China Sea. On Sunday, its People's Liberation Army said a Chinese aircraft carrier group recently conducted annual exercises in the busy sea lanes.

The escalating feud between Manila and Beijing started after more than 200 Chinese vessels suspected by Philippine authorities to be operated by militias were spotted in early March at Whitsun Reef. The Philippine government demanded the vessels leave, then deployed coast guard vessels to the area. China said it owns the reef and the Chinese vessels were sheltering from rough seas.

Esports Titles For Hanoi SEA Games 2021 Have Been Announced

Following the last SEA Games that took place in 2019, it’s time to prepare for the next instalment of 2021. This time, it’s Vietnam’s turn to host. And the country has decided on which titles will be included in its esports events.

Eight titles have been chosen as medal events for the Hanoi SEA Games 2021. The games are Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, League of Legends and its Wild Rift mobile variant, Arena of Valor, PUBG Mobile, Free Fire, CrossFire and FIFA Online 4. The list is posted on the Malaysia Esports Federation’s Facebook page.

It’s an interesting selection of games, to be sure. From the looks of it, they are all free-to-play titles, and a majority of them are on mobile. Half of them also happen to be of the MOBA genre. They are also mostly team events, with only PUBG Mobile getting an individual category. Titles that were in the previous SEA Games like Dota 2, Hearthstone, Starcraft II and Tekken 7 are notably missing.

The Hanoi SEA Games 2021 will take place between 21 November and 12 December. As you’d expect, all 11 countries in the region will be participating in up to 40 medal events, of which esports is one of.