KUCHING: Sarawak is hoping to see the construction of all 7,000 telecommunication towers in the state to be completed by 2025.
Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the projects would ensure that Sarawak is fully connected via Internet.
“Construction of these telecommunication towers and installing them with telecommunication equipment is still ongoing.
“I believe we can achieve the target of completion by 2030. But if we can complete building them by the year 2025, it will be better,” he said.
He said this in a press conference after the launch of Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS) and the Tier IV Data Centre at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) today.
Julaihi said thus far, more than 3,500 towers have been completed, while another 1,043 towers are in the process of being constructed.
“Once all of these are completed, we hope that the service providers will take the opportunity to use the towers so that every corner of Sarawak, especially in the rural areas, has access to the Internet,” he pointed out.
He noted that the service providers were more focused on the urban areas and not in the rural areas as it might not be profitable.
“They are looking at the bottom line of their investments but somehow we are encouraging them to go over and extend their service to rural areas because we have built the towers already,” he said.
Julaihi also said RM2 billion has been spent by the state government on the Internet connectivity initiatives across Sarawak.
“We thank the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) because they have approved RM4 billion in assisting Sarawak in the construction of the towers and the installation of telecommunications equipment in the state,” he said.
The Sebuyau assemblyman urged Sarawakians to be patient as the installation of the telecommunication towers required time.
“We are still doing it and the Sarawak government is trying to give as much effort to get it done,” he said.
