Rolland, Brian and Kampit (standing front – ninth, fourth and eighth left respectively) join others in a group photo at the site of the telecommunication tower project slated for Nanga Sepitoh, Julau.
SARIKEI: Climbing trees or picnicking on hill-top just to gain Internet access will be an experience in the past, as telecommunication towers are now being erected in rural areas across Sarawak.
In Meluan, not less than 10 telecommunication towers would be erected to provide the much-needed telecommunications services to all schools, longhouses and government offices there.
Meluan assemblyman Rolland Duat said this when he performed an earth-breaking ceremony for a telecommunication tower project slated for Nanga Sepitoh near here yesterday.
Another tower would be erected at the nearby area.
The towers would provide Internet coverage to four longhouses, a primary school, SK Nanga Serau and other residents in Sepitoh area, added Rolland.
“Similar towers would be erected at various locations in Meluan and I am directly involved in identifying suitable locations to ensure that all schools, longhouses and government offices could enjoy efficient telecommunication services and Internet coverage,” said the ministry.
The state government’s project, involving an allocation of RM1 billion, had been entrusted to Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) to implement.
According to the contractor, the towers would take about one month to install and after that, local residents could look forward to enjoying excellent Internet coverage and other telecommunication services after that.
Meanwhile, residents of Rumah Kampit Abang were so excited to see the telecommunication tower erected near their longhouse that they voluntarily hosted the earth-breaking ceremony.
The longhouse chieftain, Tuai Rumah Kampit Abang, on behalf of his fellow villagers, thanked the state government for providing the much-needed services that he believed would contribute immensely toward improving their livelihood.
A longhouse committee member Andrew Janting described telecommunication services would enable them to be a part of the information communication and technology (ICT) era.
Among those present at the event yesterday were political secretary to chief minister Brian Fung, several local community leaders and representatives of various government departments.