KUCHING, Jan 4: Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) held a kick-off meeting with Borneo Restu Sdn Bhd for the implementation of PoP Phase 2 project to improve Sarawak network services.
According to a press statement issued by SMA, PoP or Point-of-Presence is a project by the federal government under the Ministry of Communications and Digital to provide fibre broadband network open access using Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) technology with up to 1 Gbps speed, entailing more than 2,500-kilometre of fiberisation work and utilising schools as the hub for PoPs in order to serve a minimum 3-kilometre radius of surrounding premises—making the network a more diverse infrastructure, including in the rural areas.
The kick-off meeting between SMA and Borneo Restu aimed facilitate the wayleave application and to discuss further the mitigation action plan required to expedite the project.
“The Sarawak government has put its utmost emphasis in ensuring that the rural communities have access to high-speed Internet connectivity.
“Thus, we will try to assist as much as we can at the State level to ensure that this project can be expedited and delivered in time to ease the burden of the people in rural areas and all Sarawakians in general.
“In addition, with the availability of the facility, we encourage ‘sharing principle’ for others to use the facility as it should not be isolated ergo—it opens up more opportunity for businesses, transfer of knowledge and technologies for the rakyat, industry players, and investors in Sarawak,” said SMA general manager Ts Dr Zaidi Razak.
Homegrown Sarawakian company, Borneo Restu, was awarded a total of 681 PoPs under the Phase 2 of the project, with a targeted completion date sometime in 2025, connecting up to 75,000 premises including residential premises State-wide.
Under the PoP Phase 1 project, Telekom Malaysia was awarded 60 PoPs at schools and seven industrial areas in Kota Samarahan, Serian, Sibu, Sarikei, Bintulu, and Kapit, which are now still in progress. — DayakDaily
