Malaysian rural broadband service provider MEASAT and app-based parcel locker network system Parcel365 have officially activated the Program Transformasi Usahawan (PTU) segment of the KampungDigital365.com initiative.
The PTU platform enables corporations and individuals to support the sales of local products and open income streams and opportunities for rural communities through logistics, skill development and infrastructure to help them overcome the limitations of living in remote villages.
The PTU will first focus on empowering women entrepreneurs to uplift themselves as well as their communities through the digital economy, while subsequent phases will target youth and farmers, among others.
“As Malaysia’s rural broadband service provider, we are committed to connecting rural communities nationwide to the benefits of reliable high-speed internet connectivity and creating an ecosystem to develop the digital economy in rural areas. In our empowerment efforts, we believe that women are a key demographic, whereby elevating them also means empowering families and the community. Thus, we are rolling out Phase 1 of the PTU in partnership with Parcel365 with a focus on women entrepreneurs in rural areas,” said Measat COO Yau Chyong Lim.
All participants in the PTU will be given start-up capital, tools and access to MEASAT’s CONNECTme NOW high-speed satellite broadband Wi-Fi hotspot service to get their business activities going while also being trained in e-commerce and marketing skills to sustain their businesses successfully. The inaugural five-month phase targets helping 125 entrepreneurs, which in turn helps 2,500 villagers from the Orang Asli community.
CONNECTme NOW supports all digital applications and online services, including transactions, communications, training and other use cases.