The RM200 smart phone rebate which was announced during the last budget announcement is now applicable to a wider choice of devices. Earlier on, the rebate under the Youth Communication Package is only limited to a handful of smart phones that are priced below RM500.

At such price range, most devices are rather dated or nearing end of life which calls for a review of such limitation to enable youths to get newer handsets that are priced higher. The removal of the RM500 ceiling price was announced via twitter by @DrRaisYatim and @KhairyKj. However it is not clear if there will be a separate eligible list for models exceeding RM500.

At time of writing, there are less than 9,000 sign ups for the Youth Communication Package from its 1,500,000 allocation. To recap on the requirements, the RM200 rebate is applicable for youths aged 21-30 with a monthly income of RM3000 and below. To register, head over to SKMM’s portal here.

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	Industry in General, Mobile Devices
	Bajet 2013, Budget 2013, Mobile Phone subsidy, Pakej Komunikasi Belia, RM200 Smart Phone Rebate, smart phone subsidy, Youth Communication Package

UPDATE: Cabinet lifts RM500 price cap for Smart Phone rebate program. Read on for more.

During the Budget 2013 announcement yesterday, one of the mobile phones related highlight is the RM200 off rebate for smart phone purchase by youths aged 21 to 30 years old with an income of RM3,000 and below. This will enable more youths to stay connected on the go with currently 22% of the population is said to be smart phone users. The rebate is set to benefit 1.5 million Malaysian youths which will cost about RM300 million next year.

The mechanics of such rebate is not clear but it is said to be eligible through an authorised dealer with the Youth Communication Package. While going through authorised dealer with a possible contracted plan is seen as fraud prevention, we hope it is not tied to a single provider and a limited choice of handsets. Youths should be given the freedom to choose their desired model and telco.

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	Industry in General
	Bajet 2013, Budget 2013, Mobile Phone subsidy, smart phone subsidy