KUCHING, Nov 30: An aggressive rollout fiberisation based telecommunication network in Sarawak’s underserved areas is crucial in providing fast, reliable and better Internet connectivity.
Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) revealed it is working jointly with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) whereby they target to provide an average mobile broadband speed of 35Mbps across these areas by the end of 2021.
This is one of the initiatives taken by MCMC prompted by the surge in demand for broadband, even in rural areas, after the Covid-19 outbreak.
“One of the aspirations is to provide an average mobile broadband speed of 35 Mbps by the end of 2021.
“Towards achieving this target, complementing a fiber-based network which connects as many towers as possible, is crucial,” it explained.
Adding on, SMA revealed that 636 out of 1,661 locations in Sarawak have been identified to be part of Phase One of the Pelan Jalinan Digital Negara (Jendela) to provide public cellular and mobile broadband services.
It asserted that this initiative is part of the aspiration to enhance the nationwide coverage of 4G from 91.8 per cent to 96.9 per cent of populated areas in Malaysia by 2022.
Other than that, it pointed out 202 out of the targetted 600 telecommunication towers to be set up throughout Sarawak have been completed under the first phase known as the Smart First 300 project.
“Another 98 towers are currently under construction with the completion target set by 2021.
“At the same time, the tender award to install the common network platform for telecommunication services to the Smart First 300 towers are expected to be completed by the end of December 2020.
“Desktop planning for the rollout of the Smart Next 300 is now completed,” added SMA in a statement today.
SMA and MCMC gave assurance to all Sarawakians that they will continue to find the best solution in meeting the communication needs of the people to pave the way to build a solid foundation for future growth. — DayakDaily
