By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Aug 9: Telecommunication towers without a “kuali” (satellite dishes or radio equipment) will be a thing of the past as the Sarawak government has adjusted its strategy to simultaneously build and install 300 towers in Phase 2 of the project to expand network coverage throughout Sarawak undertaken by Sarawak Digital Economic Corporation (SDEC).
Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the Sarawak government has adjusted its strategy after realising that service providers were late and hesitated to bring connectivity, especially to rural areas in Sarawak.
“In the past, we built the towers first without equipment installed. This is a lesson for us and as such from phase two onwards, the 300 towers to be built by SDEC and SMA (Sarawak Multimedia Authority) will be installed with equipment at the same time.
“No more towers without ‘kuali’. We have learnt our lesson. All stakeholders including the State government, SDEC and SMA have taken note of this,” he said in a press conference after representing Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to launch the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (Smart) in Nanga Sekukut, Kapit today.
Julaihi pointed out that the Sarawak government had planned to have 600 telecommunication towers (telco towers) implemented in Sarawak, with the first phase of 300 towers completed and some have already installed with the necessary equipment.
“The rest are being carried out by SDEC and expected to be completed by the end of this year.
“Of the 300 towers in the first phase, 14 towers are in Kapit which are completed and installed with equipment. In SDEC language, it means these towers are ‘on air’ (operational),” he explained.
According to SDEC chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, the cost to build one telco tower is on average RM2 million depending on location.
“That is a lot of money. It is under the budget of Sarawak government to ensure this can be achieved with collaboration from all parties,” Julaihi added.
Together with the projects implemented by Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Julaihi disclosed that there are already 3,214 telco towers built in Sarawak with 1,043 towers currently under construction.
“This means we have achieved almost 50 per cent and are on the way to achieve our target for 7,000 telco towers to be constructed in order to ensure full network coverage throughout Sarawak.
“Efforts to set up telecommunication infrastructure throughout Sarawak especially in rural areas are ongoing with the aim that no areas will be left behind from deserving internet connectivity in order to achieve the State’s digital economy agenda,” he added.
Deputy Telecommunication Minister Datuk Liwan Lagang and Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyai were among those present. — DayakDaily
