FED GOVT, SERVICE PROVIDERS SHARE SMART TOWERS' OPERATING COSTS
KUCHING, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The federal government in collaboration with major mobile service providers have agreed to share the cost of operating the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) towers.
Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the cost of operating the SMART towers was estimated at RM207 million for a three-year period starting in 2024.
"After this period, the main mobile service providers will fully bear the cost of operating all the towers," he said when winding up debate for the ministry in the state legislative assembly today.
He said the Sarawak government has implemented an intervention programme to speed up efforts to expand the coverage of rural telecommunication services in Sarawak through the Sarawak Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (SALURAN) initiative with an allocation of RM1.89 billion.
"Among the projects implemented under this initiative is the construction of 600 new telecommunication towers in rural areas under the SMART project," he added.
Julaihi said the federal government through Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) has also provided an allocation of RM1 billion for the implementation of the 5G network in Sarawak from 2022 to 2030.
"A total of 589 5G sites are scheduled to operate throughout Sarawak by 2024. This will contribute to 60 per cent 5G coverage in populated areas in Sarawak," he said.
He said a total of 45 Digital Community Centres (DCC) operated by the Sarawak government and 133 Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) supervised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) were operating in Sarawak, and a total of 23 new PEDi will be built in the state next year.
"To date, more than 266,000 users have benefited from the programmes and trainings provided under DCC and PEDi in Sarawak," he added.
-- BERNAMA
