21st April 2026 - 3 min read
If you regularly take the Electric Train Service (ETS) between Kuala Lumpur and Segamat, there is now a deadline attached to fixing the patchy internet you may have experienced along the way.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil announced on 19 April 2026 that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and telecommunications companies have been directed to resolve connectivity issues along the KL Sentral-Segamat ETS route within one month. The announcement was made during an internet speed-testing session conducted aboard the service.
Speed Tests Flag Coverage Gaps In Rural Stretches
The tests were carried out by MCMC alongside six mobile network providers: CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, TM Tech, YTL Communications, and Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). Parameters measured included download and upload speeds, data stability, and continuity of coverage throughout the journey.
Speed tests were conducted at two stations, Kajang and Pulau Sebang/Tampin, during the journey from KL Sentral to Segamat.
MCMC said 71% of coverage areas along the route now have 5G services, but several locations still show a decline in coverage quality and download speeds. The worst-affected areas are in rural stretches around Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and northern Johor, which MCMC said require further improvement from service providers.
Six Telcos Are Being Brought Into One Plan
Fahmi said the government is not focused on which individual company provides coverage, but on getting all providers to share passive infrastructure such as towers and equipment that already exists along the route.
Both Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) and the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) already offer some Wi-Fi services on board, but the ministry said a more carrier-agnostic approach is needed, where all providers make use of the same shared infrastructure rather than operating in parallel.
A workshop involving MCMC, KTMB, RAC, and all six telecommunications companies is being planned to identify coverage blind spots and work out both short-term fixes and longer-term improvements.
Fix Target Covers 1,700 Kilometres Of Rail
The KL-Segamat route is the immediate focus, but Fahmi said the government’s ambition extends to the entire KTMB network, spanning approximately 1,700 kilometres up to Tumpat in Kelantan.
The initiative follows the principle of di mana ada trek, di situ ada internet (where there is a track, there is internet), extending an approach that previously applied to road corridors.
What A One-Month Deadline Means For Train Travellers
The one-month window is tight, and the focus appears to be on remediation within identified problem areas rather than a complete network overhaul.
If you travel between KL and Segamat for work and rely on train time to clear emails, join calls, or catch up on tasks, any improvement in coverage continuity along the rural stretches through Negeri Sembilan and northern Johor would be the most immediate gain. Those areas currently show the steepest drop in speed and signal stability.
The broader 1,700-kilometre ambition covering the full KTMB network is unlikely to be resolved within a single month. The workshop between MCMC, KTMB, RAC, and the six telcos is still being planned, meaning improvements to routes such as the east coast line or northern corridors will take longer to materialise.
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Christina writes about personal finance with an eye for making the complicated feel straightforward. She is drawn to the everyday money decisions people face and genuinely enjoys finding the clearest way to explain them. Between articles, she is probably napping, on a hiking trail, or terrorising her sister’s cats.
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