Sacofa: Stampin Tengah telco structure stays

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Chong (standing front, fourth right) giving the thumbs down with residents of Stampin Tengah, Hakka Avenue and their surrounding areas to signify their objection to the construction of a telecommunication tower in their neighbourhood. (file photo)

Chong (standing front, fourth right) giving the thumbs down with residents of Stampin Tengah, Hakka Avenue and their surrounding areas to signify their objection to the construction of a telecommunication tower in their neighbourhood. (File photo)

KUCHING: The disputed telecommunication structure site at Stampin Tengah here will remain because it meets the criteria as the best location that delivers the strongest coverage to the most number of users.

Sacofa Sdn Bhd, in a statement yesterday, assured that the construction of all its telecommunications structures, including the one at Stampin Tengah, is based on the highest safety and engineering integrity standards practised in the industry.

Its general manager (business support) Si Kiang Seng said Sacofa needs to invest an additional RM1 billion to lay countless kilometres of cabling and erect many towers and provide additional infrastructural support in order to achieve Sarawak’s connectivity target of 95 percent broadband penetration rate over the next five years.

He explained Sacofa continually seeks out the best locations for new or upgraded telco-towers so that the residents and businesses in that area are able to enjoy enhanced, stable bandwidth and connectivity, as is the case with Stampin Tengah.

“Sites for the telco-towers are identified based on that area’s current and future bandwidth demands, as well as what land is available. Once a location has been confirmed as a site that would significantly improve the community’s ability to enjoy telephone and broadband access – and if it has been agreed by the telecommunications providers – we work closely and collaboratively with the relevant local authorities to secure the requisite approvals to proceed.”

He assured that extensive studies were also conducted on numerous sites within an area to pinpoint the best location that would deliver the strongest coverage to the most users.

He explained that the type of telecommunications structures required by the service providers to meet the coverage objectives was determined by the frequency used.

“The lower range of towers – the 30-metre or below structures for instance, like the one in Stampin Tengah, are used to support the roll-out of high-speed wireless communication for mobile phones and data terminals or Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology.

“With the advancement of telecommunication technology, to maintain the widespread expansion of mobile coverage and to meet increased consumer demand, more similar structures are expected to be erected throughout the state to support its progressive connectivity plans for Sarawakians,” he said.

Si was alluding to reports published in the local media regarding residents of Lorong 10, Jalan Stampin who were not happy with Sacofa’s about turn to change its earlier decision to remove the telecommunication tower it erected in the residential area few months ago.

More than 130 residents in the area are said to have signed a petition opposing the erection of the tower.

They have also sought the help of Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chieng Jen to resolve the matter.

Si reiterated that Sacofa is guided by the Philosophies, Policies and Direction (PPD) on Communication Towers and Structures issued by the Ministry of Public Utilities and State Planning Authority/Lands & Survey planning guidelines

He cited studies by an independent and third-party inter-agency committee comprising the Ministry of Health and various academic and standards bodies showed ‘no conclusive evidence’ to indicate that radio frequency or ‘RF’ energy or radiation emission exposure at levels normally encountered would cause any adverse health effects.

He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) also stated that multiple studies done in the past have not provided any clear-cut evidence that RF exposure from transmitters increases the risk of cancer.

“Tests carried out by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commissions (MCMC) also found that the average RF emission levels recorded from telecommunications transmitters in Malaysia is too low to cause any known harmful health effects,” he said.

He explained that MCMC, in its role as the nation’s primary telecommunications regulator, supervises the frequency, transmitting power and the emission of radiation by these transmitters.

He also mentioned that Sacofa, in collaboration with the Sarawak government, has successfully developed and implemented a high-speed broadband network from Sarawak to Sabah via Brunei, Kapit town, Sungai Asap Resettlement, Limbang, Lawas and Marudi.

These locations are also equipped with high-speed broadband technology enabling local residents to enjoy faster and more reliable 3G and 4G/LTE services.

Sacofa plans to continually improve the quality of broadband services in rural areas by progressively utilising fibre over the usage of Very Small Aperture Transmission (VSAT).

“Sacofa’s strict policy of promoting non-discriminatory common sharing of telecommunications infrastructure amongst service providers has greatly assisted in reducing the overall cost of individual operators, resulting in much lower costs, offering affordable high-speed bandwidth for the people of Sarawak,” he said.