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KUCHING – Another 55 Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) towers throughout the state will be “on air” by this coming Gawai Dayak, said state Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi.
He said using Multi-Operator Core Networks, the Sarawak Digital Economic Corp (SDEC) will provide CelcomDigi, Maxis, and U Mobile services to those towers.
“Using the same technology, SDEC has provided CelcomDigi, Maxis, and U Mobile services to 70 SMART towers which will be ‘on air’ starting this Hari Raya season.
“The remaining SMART towers will be ‘on air’ by the first quarter of 2024,” he told reporters at his Hari Raya open house here yesterday.
According to Julaihi, the presence of microwave equipment or “kuali” does not necessarily indicate the availability of mobile services, such as 4G services from CelcomDigi, Maxis, or U Mobile.
“This is because some towers which have microwave equipment function as a repeater site and serve as a medium to transfer the telecommunication signals from one site to another – similar to optical fibre, but wireless.”
Julaihi said to become a developed state by 2030, the Sarawak government has intervened and complemented the federal government’s efforts by spending RM1.89 billion to implement the SMART project to fast track telecommunication development, especially in rural areas.
He said with the current 4G network coverage in Sarawak at only 54% of populated areas, there are many rural areas yet to be provided with telecommunication services.
Sarawak, he reiterated, needs about 7,000 telecommunication towers and structures to achieve full coverage, and at the moment, about 3,500 towers and structures are in operation.
“Typically, a contract for the construction of a telecommunications tower takes at least 18 months to complete and consists of two stages.
“Stage 1 involves the tower construction which normally takes nine months to complete and among the work scopes are site identification, acquisition, survey works, approvals, and tower erection.
“Stage 2 will take another nine months where the provisioning of power supply, installation of telecommunications equipment, getting the telco providers to do ‘on boarding’, site commissioning, and optimisation works will be conducted to bring the site on air and start servicing the public,” he said. – Borneo Post Online, April 25, 2023