By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 29: Internet coverage and communication in populated areas of Sarawak has reached 90.09 per cent as of October 31, says Federal Minister of Communication, Fahmi Fadzil.
According to a news report by TVS yesterday (Nov 28), the Sarawak government, through the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) and the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) Berhad, constructed 600 new towers (SMART 600) to improve internet coverage within the region apart from ones under the existing National Digital Interconnection Programme (JENDELA).
Fahmi said this in response to a question from Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Willie Mongin about the latest status of the Starlink installation in the Bengoh Dam area, which involves three villages that serve as tourist attractions.
Regarding Starlink service in Puncak Borneo, Fahmi stated that a proof-of-concept test is being conducted in Kampung Puak, Bau, and will continue until June 2025.
“We will request that all telecommunication companies deploy all machinery to ensure that the coverage rate for a state is equal for all areas.
“This (deployment of machinery) will definitely take time, but this is between my efforts and that of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC),” said Fahmi during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday (Nov 28).
Fahmi also shared that the coverage for internet and communications in the Puncak Borneo area has reached 87.29 per cent as of October 31.
To further enhance connectivity, a total of 28 new communication towers have been completed and are operational under the JENDELA Phase 1 initiative, while seven additional towers are expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2025.
“All 145 existing transmitting stations have been upgraded, and 6,021 out of 6,189 premises have been made available with fibre optics access,” he said, adding that the remaining initiatives are expected to be completed in stages by the end of 2025. — DayakDaily
