Sarawak has nearly 95 pct internet coverage

SARAWAK’s internet coverage by settlement currently stands at 94.5 per cent, with remaining blindspots to be addressed progressively under JENDELA Phase 2.

Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Liwan Lagang said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) initiative involves building new telecommunication towers and providing off-grid satellite-based internet solutions at 337 sites.

He said the project is at the tendering stage and is expected to start in the first quarter of 2027.

Liwan was replying to Wilfred Yap Yau Sin (GPS-Kota Sentosa) during question and answer session on Friday (Oct 16).

Yap had asked on the specific actions being taken to address persistent blackspots and optimise the rollout of Phase 2 of the Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (SRBN).

He said for rural areas, a total of 618 Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) towers and 196 other telecommunication towers currently provide connectivity through Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (MySRBN) services.

“This is further complemented by high-speed fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) connectivity under MySRBN XL by leveraging on the Point-of-Presence (PoP) infrastructure,” he said.

On how MySRBN had helped narrow rural connectivity gaps, Liwan said the infrastructure, deployed across existing and new SMART towers, extends Fixed Wireless Broadband (FWB) services to communities where conventional fixed-line connectivity may be challenging.

He said the technology gives rural and remote communities access to high-speed internet.

Responding to Yap’s question on current coverage in Kota Sentosa, Liwan said internet coverage by settlement area in the constituency is 98.5 per cent.