Fahmi Calls For Expediting Of JENDELA Phase 1 Mobile Service Provisioning

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Communications has urged expediting the completion of mobile service provisioning under Phase 1 of the National Digital Network (JENDELA) initiative, especially since it was supposed to be completed in October 2024.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said there are about 1,600 towers under the first phase of JENDELA, but not all are completed or ‘on-air’.

 “(These towers) should have been ready last month, but they are not, and that’s why we are not happy. JENDELA Phase 2 will take some time, and we expect the towers to be between 2,500 and 3,000 sites. 

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“It might be double the number of sites for JENDELA Phase 1, and it will be more challenging because they will be more remote,” he told reporters after attending the TowerXchange Meetup Asia 2024 here today.

Previously, Fahmi also expressed concerns regarding the unfinished towers under Phase 1 of JENDELA, particularly in Sabah, where only 215 towers out of 382 were completed and handed over.

Of that number, only 61 per cent or 130 towers are ‘on air’.

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On JENDELA Phase 2, Fahmi said that the ministry would re-design the network design and take into account new technologies, such as those developed in the Tower Exchange and some new technologies like Direct-to-Device. 

“This involves the use of low-Earth orbit satellites and utilises the network to provide inter-relationships, especially in areas where it is too expensive or too difficult to build a tower,” he added.

Fahmi also raised concerns about JENDELA Phase 2, where he said there is a need to overhaul the entire implementation process to ensure the programme’s effectiveness.

-- BERNAMA