THE 4G coverage for populated areas in Song district had improved to 32.04 percent in the first quarter of 2022 from the previous 26.02 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Deputy Minister of Telecommunication of Sarawak, Datuk Liwan Lagang said further improvement is expected after the completion of various coverage expansion programmes under Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) and Jalinan Digital Negara (Jendela) initiative next year.
He said the expansion programmes will be carried out by the Sarawak Media Authority (SMA), Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC).
“There are various projects implemented under Sarawak Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (Saluran) initiatives, which comprise of both interim and permanent solutions for internet connectivity,” he sid in reply to Lidam Assan (GPS-Katibas) during the question-and-answer session at DUN sitting here today.
For an interim solution, Liwan said, there are four longhouses, namely Rh Guntor Takan, Song, Rh Sidi (Ng. Nayai, Ulu Katibas), Rh. Lucy (Ng. Lanang, Tekalit) and Rh A,pi (Ng Terusa, Ulu Katibas) connected through Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) technology under Wifi SALURAN initiative.
For permanent solution, three towers have been constructed under SMART Phase 1, namely Ng. Lanang and Ng. Barok in Tekalit, Song and Ng. Banjor, Song.
“A total of 49 locations in Katibas are provided with an interim solution for internet service via the Broadband Wireless Access (satellite broadband) initiative under the Pelan Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA).
Meanwhile, for the 4G coverage expansion program, a total of 19 locations have been identified in the Katibas area and currently in various implementation stages,” he said.
To a supplementary question on the coverage distance for Broadband Wireless Access and MySRBN project, he said that the ideal coverage distance of the WIFI service from the Access Point (AP) of the Broadband Wireless Access is up to 100 meters, whereas the ideal coverage distance of the WIFI service from the MySRBN transmitter site is up to 2.5 kilometers depending on geographical characteristics of the area.
He also said that the number of MySRBN subscribers in Katibas is 89 households as of April 2022.
