By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Sept 29: The Sarawak Ministry of Utility and Telecommunications has requested additional spectrum from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to reduce telecommunications network congestion during periods of increased usage.
Its minister, Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi, said the request was among efforts to strengthen telecommunications infrastructure while ensuring users receive better services.
After discussions with several parties in the telecommunications sector, he said more responsible and positive use of online facilities should also be encouraged, rather than online activities that provide little benefit.
Representatives from MCMC, the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), SACOFA, and Sarawak Information Systems (SAINS) attended the discussion on Monday (Sept 28).
Julaihi said the group also discussed issues involving telecommunications cables and optical fibres damaged or severed by vandalism and theft, noting that all parties need to enforce and cooperate to address the problem.
He said telecommunications infrastructure maintenance should also be carried out more systematically and effectively, particularly involving leaning towers as well as cables and lines hanging too close to the ground.
“Vegetation growing around towers, cables and lines also needs to be cleared immediately.
“MCMC has been entrusted with this task, but it requires the cooperation of all telecommunications agencies and pooled funding. SMA, as the regulator, has its own responsibilities under the existing ordinance. The bottom line is that all parties must cooperate,” he said in a TVS news report.
According to Julaihi, closer cooperation among telecommunications service providers is also needed to improve service quality for users.
He said Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) technology could be jointly used by telecommunications service providers, allowing customers to maximise the benefits of telecommunications services wherever they are.
In a related development, he proposed that premises reliant on online transactions, including petrol stations, install fixed-line connections as their primary connection, with mobile services as a backup.
He said the approach was important to ensure customer transactions could continue without interruption, particularly when one network experiences problems.
“Online transaction premises such as petrol stations are proposed and encouraged to install fixed lines as the main connection and mobile lines as a backup service so that customers can continue to benefit without disruption, such as during the implementation of current government subsidies,” he said. — DayakDaily
