SHAH ALAM: Selangor will roll out 288km of dark fibre infrastructure in Shah Alam as the next phase of its planned 889km state-wide network, with construction expected to take one to two years and costs estimated at between RM57.6 million and RM86.4 million.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the rollout, which will follow the completion of Smartsel Sdn Bhd’s 40km Cyberjaya Fiber Expressway, would form part of the broader Shah Alam Smart City initiative.
“Next after Cyberjaya is Shah Alam. But Shah Alam is not just about dark fibre, it is also about connectivity under the Smart City initiative,” he told a press conference after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Smartsel and PG LinkaranFibre Sdn Bhd today.
He said the tender process is almost complete, with contractors or vendors to be selected by a joint committee comprising Smartsel, Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“The tender is almost completed. After the tender is completed, then we will proceed,” Amirudin said.
“Construction for more than 200km will take around one to two years. But we will not wait for everything to be completed. If there is a need and readiness, we will do the rest,” he said.
Amirudin estimated fibre construction costs at RM200,000 to RM300,000 per kilometre, putting the estimated cost of the 288km rollout at between RM57.6 million and RM86.4 million.
Unlike the Cyberjaya network, which prioritises industrial and data centre connectivity, Amirudin said the Shah Alam network would have a wider reach.
“In Shah Alam, it will connect all houses, schools, government offices and industrial areas because it is a requirement for a Smart City,” he said.
Amirudin said the broader Shah Alam Smart City initiative has an estimated RM450 million allocation from MCMC, while the state government will manage land matters.
However, he said the RM450 million covers the wider Smart City initiative, including other components such as the Centralised Traffic Intelligence and Operational System, rather than the dark fibre network alone.
“The RM450 million is for the Smart City. The Smart City covers CTIOS and various other things,” he said.
The dark fibre infrastructure, meanwhile, will be owned by the relevant local authorities or Smartsel and used to provide services to government offices, schools and homes.
“Industry and commercial [users] will require it because they need the connectivity,” Amirudin said.
