By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, April 11: The construction of 600 Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) towers across the State is expected to be completed ahead of schedule, originally targeted for the end of this year.
Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) chief executive officer Dato Sudarnoto Osman said as of now, 458 towers have been commissioned and are operational.
Out of that number, 389 are running on six-way Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) systems and Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (MySRBN) connectivity.
“In terms of construction, we have completed over 580 to 590 towers, which is very close to our year-end goal of 600.
“We expect an additional 60 to 80 sites to be activated within the next month,” he told reporters during 2nd SDEC Media Appreciation Night held at a local hotel here last night.
Sudarnoto credited the dry season for the acceleration in progress, noting that the construction pace typically picks up during this period.
“Progress usually improves during the dry season. The rainy season presents challenges—flooded roads and muddy conditions often delay access to remote sites and transport of equipment,” he elaborated.
Despite initial projections aiming for project completion by the end of 2025, Sudarnoto said SDEC now expects the majority of the towers to be operational by July or August this year.
“We’re optimistic that all towers will not only be built but also functional by that time,” he added. – DayakDaily
