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KUCHING – A total of 125 rural telecommunications towers under the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) initiative will be on stream by June 1, the day of the Gawai Dayak celebration.
State Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi said 70 of the SMART towers have been operating since Aidilfitri last week.
“By Gawai Day, 55 additional SMART towers will be in operation,” he told reporters when met at his ministry’s Aidilfitri Open House here today.
Julaihi said the Sarawak government has allocated RM1.8 billion to build 600 new towers under the SMART project, in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to improve internet coverage in the state.
The installation of the towers is being handled by Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation, which is a state government subsidiary.
Julaihi said Sarawak aims to build 7,000 telecommunications towers nationwide to expand internet coverage.
“Thus far, over 50% or more than 3,500 telecommunications towers have been built in Sarawak,” he added. – Bernama, April 29, 2023