KUCHING: SACOFA always prioritises safety whenever a telecommunication tower is erected at any location in the state.
There are many misconceptions on the adverse effects of telecommunication towers by both the community and even elected representatives.
“The most common misconception are the harmful radiation emitted from the towers, increased risk of lighting strikes in an area, putting aside the public’s interest to even the design and the quality of materials used to construct the towers.
“The radiation from the towers is called RF radiation which is harmless to humans as the frequency is extremely low, similar to the frequency emitted by radio, lamps and TV. Radiation emitted by our smart phones is even more harmful,” pointed out SACOFA Managing Director Mohamed Zaid Zaini during a roundtable session with the media at Hilton Kuching, yesterday.
He said the towers were grounded and equipped with arresters which offered further protection.
“SACOFA always considers the interest of the people as tower sites are not chosen on profit maximisation but rather on strategic locations that will result in greater reach of phone and broadband signals.
“Sites for telecommunication towers are identified based on the areas’ current and future bandwidth demands as well as the availability of the land.
“These sites are confirmed as areas that will significantly improve the community’s ability to enjoy telephone and broadband access, provided with the agreement from telecommunication providers. SACOFA will work closely with the relevant authorities to secure any required approval to proceed with the project.
“Also, rest assured that the materials and design of each towers exceed the safety and industry standards. To ensure every tower can provide the highest quality and safety, SACOFA adopted the British Standard Code of Practices in which all logistic works such as loading and wind loading, earthworks, drainage and soil investigation are being carried out meticulously prior to tower construction,” said Mohamed Zaid.
