PAPAR – Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa today urged telecommunication companies in the country to be more proactive in upgrading internet services at existing telecommunication towers, especially in rural and remote areas.
He said more proactive participation from the companies involved was needed to help the government increase internet coverage, ensuring people in these areas enjoy more efficient and quality internet access.
He also said he hopes to see telcos being more proactive in boosting the government’s desire to expand connectivity and increase internet quality, besides efforts being carried out by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) through the Universal Services Provision (USP) fund.
“This is because if it is only the government doing it, it will be delayed. We (the government) only provide the infrastructure while services are still handled by the telcos, not by the government. I hope there will be better cooperation, which has been good so far.
“I’m not asking (the telcos) to go to places that require huge investments but to upgrade the service at existing towers to be in line with our ongoing efforts to improve transmitter stations in accordance with 4G services,” he told reporters here today.
Earlier, Annuar observed two telecommunication towers located in Kg Daingin and Kg Gadong and also visited the Keluarga Malaysia Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) in Kg Langkuas, Kinarut near here.
Meanwhile, Annuar said the government had implemented various initiatives via the National Digital Network Plan to increase connectivity in Papar, including building five new telecommunication towers, with two of them already completed.
He said 74 out of 75 transmitter stations had been upgraded to the 4G network, with plans for a total of 3,570 premises in the district to have fibre optic networks.
So far, he said, a total of 2,534 premises have been equipped with fibre optics, with work on 1,036 other premises ongoing; while two locations are ready for the Wireless Broadband Services project, with one still being implemented.
Annuar said three schools in Papar have been identified for the implementation of the Point-of-Presence for Phase One and six schools for Phase Two, in efforts to ensure broadband network and coverage can be better expanded to populated areas surrounding the schools.
Elaborating on the PEDi, Annuar said another 177 PEDi would be added, taking the number of PEDi operating nationwide to 1,088 and this is in line with the government’s target to create at least one PEDi in every state constituency.
“The upgrading work will be carried out in stages because it also requires the cooperation of telcos and the MCMC as well as the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation, which will provide content to run the courses.
“Generally, the response has been encouraging and I also see single mothers and people with disabilities able to carry out businesses online,” he said, adding that the PEDi’s main focus was to produce and empower small entrepreneurs towards innovative digitalisation and competitiveness.
Annuar said the concept of a community device programme would also be expanded to every PEDi to enable individuals without mobile devices to use such devices on loan and, thus, facilitate them in carrying out their businesses online. – Bernama, March 28, 2022
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