BY NEVILLE TIMOTHY SANDERS and ANNABELL NAJA TOMMY
SEBUYAU: Providing for internet coverage is not as easy as it sounds, said Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi.
“In order for us to have full internet coverage, 7,000 telecommunication towers need to be built in the small town, rural and coastal areas.
“Currently, 3,479 towers have been built which accounts for about 50 percent,” he said during a Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2022 programme at Dewan Pembangunan Sebuyau on Monday (May 16).
He said efforts to reach the target are currently in the works.
“Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) and Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) are responsible for providing internet facilities in the rural area.
“Most of the telecommunication services such as Celcom, DiGi, U-Mobile, their internet coverage mainly focus on the urban area. But we have asked them to expand their service further to the rural area,” he added.
He said with more towers built, the internet coverage would reach who need it.
He also spoke about the first phase of work on the 286 tower buildings that were not equipped with a satellite dish.
“Thank goodness, SDEC has been assigned to provide those 286 towers with the telecommunication equipment. And they are hard at work to finish it, which was built earlier by SMA.
“For phase two, we have another 300 towers to be built by SDEC and this time around, it’s not just the tower, but we will also build the tower with the telecommunication equipment itself,” he said.
“Sarawak has been given an allocation of around RM4 billion to provide for telecommunication towers that are fully equipped,” he said.
