KUCHING: The state government, through telecommunication infrastructure company Sacofa, has proposed to implement the ‘Digitalisation of Rural Communities’ project in order to reduce the digital divide in the state.
Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the proposal, which will see the state-owned company fiberising T3 USP towers in Sarawak, has been submitted to the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Ministry of Communications and Multimedia.
“This will create a strong terrestrial transmission backbone to improve connectivity in remote areas; reduce the usage of expensive transmissions such as VSAT; serve as the backbone network to other services such as 1Malaysia Internet Centre (PI1M), T3 USP and 1 Bestarinet; and improve Sarawak’s broadband penetration rate above the national average,” he told reporters at Wisma Sumber Alam here yesterday.
Awang Tengah, who is the former Public Utilities Minister, was handing over the duties of the ministry to newly appointed Public Utilities Minister Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi.
According to him, the implementation period of the project is three years and is estimated to cost RM550 million.
“The scope of the project includes fiberising about 70 per cent of 352 completed T3 USP telecommunication structures; constructing 150 new telecommunication structures; and installation of microwave dishes and antennas,” he disclosed.
He added that last year’s cellular presentation rate had increased to 113 per 100 people compared to 40 per 100 people in 2010 while broadband coverage was increased from 40.2 per cent in 2010 to 78.3 per cent in 2015.
“The national target for the 11th Malaysia Plan is to increase the broadband coverage to 95 per cent.”
Awang Tengah also touched on the achievements of his former ministry, where under the 10th Malaysia Plan about 84,000 new households had been connected with treated water supply thus increasing the number of households with treated water supply to 471,425 or 80 per cent of households in Sarawak.
“For the 11th Malaysia Plan, the target is to provide treated or clean water supply to 79,000 new households and to increase the coverage to 96 per cent of all households in Sarawak,” he said.
For the Rural Electrification Scheme, he said around 519,000 or 90 per cent of households in the state now enjoy 24-hour electricity supply.
“The target in the 11th Malaysia Plan is to connect 39,000 new households with 24-hour electricity supply. This will increase the coverage to 97 per cent of all households in Sarawak.”
On Dr Rundi’s appointment as the new minister, Awang Tengah expressed his confidence that he will bring the ministry to greater heights for the benefit and welfare of the people in urban and rural areas.
“Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi was the assistant minister of public utilities since 2009 prior to his appointment as a minister. He is well-versed with the policies and strategies related to provisions of utilities in the state,” he said.
Awang Tengah had held this portfolio since the formation of the ministry in 2004.
Among those present to witness the handing over of duties were Ministry of Public Utilities permanent secretary Ubaidillah Abdul Latip and Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) group chief executive officer Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit.