A total of 3,708 telecommunication towers, which is equivalent to 52.9 per cent of the target, have been completed as at May this year, said Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi.
According to him, 4G telecommunications coverage in populated areas in Sarawak achieved 61.6 percent so far.
He said the Sarawak government will continue with its commitment to expand internet services throughout the state.
“This commitment is a proactive intervention step to catalyse the digital economy in Sarawak even though the provision of connectivity in Sarawak is the responsibility of the federal government,” he said when delivering his ministerial winding-up speech today.
Under the Sarawak Linking Urban Rural and Nation (SALURAN) programme through the Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (MySRBN), Julaihi said as many as 166 MySRBN sites are operational, while another 28 sites are expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2023.
“To date, there are 16,460 subscriptions covering locations such as private residences, longhouses, clinics, schools and community halls,” he added.
Under the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) plan, Julaihi said 158 towers have been operating so far and the remaining 684 towers are scheduled to operate in stages until the fourth quarter of this year.
In addition, he said a total of 3,546 existing transmitter stations have been upgraded from 3G to 4G services compared to 3,259 transmitter stations as announced previously.
Another 43 transmitting stations will be completed and upgraded in stages until the fourth quarter of 2023.
Meanwhile, he said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) aims to extend its optical fibre connectivity to 115,287 residential and business premises for high-speed broadband services.
“So far, a total of 90,840 premises have been provided with optical fibre connectivity, while services for the remaining 24,447 premises are expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2023,” he added.
