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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19: A total of 587 5G sites in Sarawak will be ready by 2024, says Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak (MUT) Datuk Julaihi Narawi.
“Currently 218 sites have been commissioned. This will unlock a broad range of opportunities, including the optimisation of service delivery, decision-making, and end-user experience,” he said when speaking at Digital Economy Leaders’ Summit 2023 held at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) Kuala Lumpur here today.
Meanwhile, the 4G coverage in Sarawak presently is at 61.6 per cent and is expected to reach 93.87 per cent by the end of 2023 with the commissioning of SMART600, National Digital Network Plan (JENDELA), Clawback and other broadband initiatives.
Julaihi further said that Sarawak will need 7,000 telecommunication structures to achieve 99.9 per cent internet penetration throughout Sarawak.
Under the Sarawak Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (SALURAN) initiative, 600 towers are to be built under Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) project and 742 new towers to be built through JENDELA.
Meanwhile, SALURAN and Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (SALURAN-MySRBN), is a first State-owned 4G ready and 5G Oriented Broadband Telecommunication Network that uses fixed wireless broadband technology where 243 sites across Sarawak have been implemented to connect rural communities.
“In far-reaching areas, the Sarawak Government has equipped 250 sites with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) under the Wi-Fi SALURAN project. This is an interim solution to give internet access to the underserved community which 86,562 users have benefited to date. MCMC has also equipped 523 sites in Sarawak with VSAT,” Julaihi added.
He also mentioned that the Sarawak Government together with the private sector are actively developing and adopting green data centres in Sarawak.
“These data centres will become a primary repository for global and Sarawak government’s data storage, management, and dissemination.
“Irix has already operationalised a Tier 4 data centre in Sarawak, the only Tier 4 data centre in Malaysia and others are in the planning and deployment stages,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
