By Jacob Achoi
SEBUYAU, Jan 29: Twelve telecommunication towers will be erected in Sebuyau, with the completion date expected this year.
According to Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi, nine towers will be built by Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The remaining three will be by the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA).
He pointed out that such towers were necessary for the area given the strategic location due to the coastal road.
“We want to have rest and recreational (R&R) centres along the coastal highway, and to have this, we need to have good internet coverage.
“To start, we will have the R&R at Sampat (Sebuyau) and Sebuyau New Township, which are strategic locations for motorists plying the coastal road,” Julaihi told reporters today when visiting Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) Sampat.
Officers from MCMC, SMA, and Sarawak Digital Economic Corporation (SDEC) were with him.
Julaihi, who took over the Ministerial portfolio on Jan 4, said the three agencies would investigate the matter.
He also told reporters that he would meet with telecommunication service providers to address internet coverage, particularly in rural areas.
He said the meeting to be held next month is important to get feedback from telco service providers to bring internet coverage to rural areas.
The scheduled meeting will also tell the service providers to go to the ground to familiarise themselves with development in rural areas.
“The situation in rural areas at present is different as compared in the past,” he pointed out.
At the same time, Julaihi, who is Sebuyau assemblyman, also urged MCMC, SMA, and SDEC to identify locations for the erection of telecommunication towers along the second trunk road as early preparation. — DayakDaily
