BINTULU: Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Ulu Segan in Sebauh will soon enjoy a faster internet speed with the installation of fibre optic cables when they move to the new school premises next month.
Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) general manager Dr Zaidi Razak said the internet connectivity initiative was part of the Sebauh Rural High-Speed Open Broadband Network Project.
The project, he said, involved the installation of 130 kilometres of fibre optic cable and telecommunication equipment to cover 60 rural sites including longhouses, schools and government agencies.
“It is in line with the Sarawak Government’s mission to digitalise its economy and to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas,” he said in a statement today.
“This is a Proof of Performance (POP) project show-casing an intricately designed, structured and implemented network that provides affordable high-speed broadband connectivity to rural communities,” he added.
Through the initiative, Zaidi said, the communities in Sebauh would be able to enjoy seamless internet connectivity of up to 100mbps. Currently, average daily concurrent users are 1,418.
He said this after a meeting with the SK Ulu Segan headmaster Yahya Piduman at the new school premises here yesterday
Meanwhile, Yahya said the pupils and teachers were definitely looking forward for the day when they can enjoy a high-speed internet, especially for their teaching and learning process.
He said the school had received twelve desktops from the Sarawak Government for the computer lab, while the pupils have been provided with laptops by the Ministry of Education.
“Thus, we hope that internet service could be installed at our computer lab at the new school premises as the pupils need it for their online studies,” he said.
Currently, he said, the pupils are still studying at the old school building, located some 5-km away, which is prone to flooding as it is situated near a river.
He said the Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD) was expected to hand over the school to the Sarawak Education Department by October 2022, after it is fully furnished.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg visited the school last week and said the Sarawak Government had spent RM26 million to relocate and rebuild despite education being under the purview of the Federal Government.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Utilities (Telecommunications) Datuk Liwan Lagang when asked about the internet project, said, it would enable the Sarawak Government to commence and expedite the implementation of the digitalization programmes under the Sarawak Digital Economy Strategy 2018-2022, especially in the rural areas.
“At the same time, it is in line with Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 agenda under the digital infrastructure, in order to develop infrastructure in a multi-tiered ring network design in a cost-effective manner,” he said,
Liwan added that the Sarawak Government was committed to provide the education needs of the pupils as they would be the future of the state’s talents in order to propel Sarawak to achieve a high-income and developed status through PCDS 2030, which is underpinned by data and innovation.
