Sarawak land owners asked to facilitate telecommunication tower construction

KAPIT, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Land owners in Sarawak have been asked to cooperate if their consent on land use is needed to facilitate the construction of telecommunications towers.

Sarawak Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi said a lack of cooperation would create difficulties in providing facilities that are important to the development of digital economy in the state, which is aiming to achieve high-income status in 2030.

"Since you are asking for connectivity to be expedited, the government also wants no obstacles in the implementation of the construction of these telecommunication towers," he told reporters after representing Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to launch the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) Project at Rumah Empawi, Nanga Sekukut in Ulu Yong here today.

He said permission on land use was important not only for the construction of towers or the connection of optical fibre cables but also for other utility facilities such as water pipes and electric cables, where every land used for such projects would be compensated according to the current value of the land.

On the SMART project here, he said it was one of the components of the Sarawak Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (SALURAN) initiative of the state government to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas by improving 4G coverage in rural areas.

Julaihi said through the SMART project, telecommunication companies can now take advantage of the infrastructure and equipment invested by the government to expand their coverage footprint to rural areas by utilising the Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN).

“With this technology, operating costs for mainstream operators can be significantly reduced and shared equally. Apart from providing mobile services, the SMART initiative also enables home broadband services through MySRBN (Sarawak Rural Broadband Network)," he said.

A total of 51 SMART projects have been planned and will be built across Kapit Division, with 14 of them under the first phase and the rest to be completed under the second phase.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari, in his speech delivered by Julaihi earlier, said that SMART will be the catalyst for the realisation of digitalisation efforts in Sarawak’s rural areas.

He said SMART would not only improve access to high-quality education and increase literacy but also offer new perspectives and opportunities for students and teachers in rural areas.

"Through SMART, Sarawakians in rural areas can create wealth, improve digital skills and gain access to knowledge," he added.

-- BERNAMA