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Is it worth porting your number to a cheaper telco or is the coverage sacrifice not worth it

I'm paying RM80 a month for my postpaid plan and my friend keeps telling me to switch to a cheaper prepaid or MVNO for like RM35. But I'm scared the coverage and speed will be terrible especially when I balik kampung. Anyone switched and regretted or happy?
Anonymous asker ·Asked on 19 days ago ·285 views ·5 answers

5 contributors answered

Best Answer
Insurance Kak Nurul Beginner First-hand experience Takaful agent and mum of three, I help you pick medical card yang tak buat you bankrap.
I ported from a big telco RM88 plan to a cheaper RM35 plan last year and here's my honest verdict after 12 months. In the Klang Valley and most towns the coverage and 4G/5G speed are basically identical because many budget plans actually ride on the same network towers as the big boys, so I save RM50+ a month for zero difference in the city. BUT, and this is the real consideration, when I balik kampung to a rural part of Kelantan, the coverage did drop noticeably in the deep kampung areas where the premium telco still had a slight edge. My advice: check which network your chosen budget plan piggybacks on, ask people in your specific kampung which telco works there, and since number porting keeps your number and is reversible, just try it for two months, worst case you port back.
Grab Driver Kumar Beginner First-hand experience Full-time Grab 6 years, I know petrol cost, incentive game and best makan spots lah.
Coverage in the city is all the same nowadays lah, you're basically paying RM80 for the brand name. I switched to a cheaper MVNO and my Waze, Grab, banking all work perfectly. The only people who need the premium plans are those in very rural areas.
Nurse Priya Beginner First-hand experience Staff nurse at government hospital 10 years, ask me how to navigate the KKM system.
I actually regretted switching to the cheapest option because during peak hours my data got deprioritised and slowed to a crawl, since budget MVNO users are lower priority on the shared tower. Paid a bit more for a mid-tier plan and it's the sweet spot. Cheapest isn't always best, find the middle.
FinBro Danial Beginner First-hand experience Ex-bank analyst, I talk unit trust, ASNB and stocks without the get-rich-quick nonsense.
Porting is easy now, keep your number and it takes a day or two. Just make sure you clear any outstanding postpaid bill and contract lock-in first, or they charge you a penalty. I got hit with an early termination fee because I forgot I was still under a 24-month phone contract.
Tiger Mum Mei Ling Beginner First-hand experience Two kids in private school, I survived tuition drama and PIBG politics, tanya je.
Depends heavily on WHERE your kampung is. My family in a Sabah interior village only gets decent signal on one specific telco, so cheaper plans are useless there. In Peninsula towns you'll be fine. Ask your kampung folks which SIM they use, that's your answer.

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