TEMERLOH – Four districts in Pahang have been listed as the main locations needing upgrading of Internet access, especially for the 4G network, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
He said 4G coverage in the four districts was still below 80%, with the rate in Lipis at 68.94%, Cameron Highlands at 76.38%, Jerantut at 77.38%, and Rompin at 79.18%.
The overall 4G coverage rate in Pahang is at 89.10% compared with the national average of 92.03%. Kuantan is the district with the best coverage at 97.10%, followed by Temerloh 92.73% and Bentong 91.14%.
“Plans to upgrade Internet service are being carried out under the national digital network, including building 191 new communication towers throughout Pahang, with 28 of them completed last year, to expand 4G coverage especially in the rural and interior areas.
“A total of 898 transmitter stations will be upgraded from 3G to 4G, while 116,773 premises will be connected to fibre optic networks. If all goes well, Internet coverage will be better by the middle of this year,” he told reporters at the Temerloh Community College here today.
In a separate development, Saifuddin said there was a need to amend the MCMC Act 1998 as it was enacted 23 years ago and had failed to keep abreast with current technological developments.
He said this posed a challenge when it came to investigating issues, such as the spread of fake news on social media which, in recent times, had seen irresponsible parties uploading statements raising doubts about the Covid-19 vaccine.
“We are amending the MCMC Act, including how best to expedite investigations. In 1998, we never imagined that applications such as WhatsApp would exist and people could spread fake news as quickly as they do now,” he said.
He added that the ministry would also intensify efforts to advise the public not to easily believe or be a party to spreading fake news on social media. – Bernama, March 10, 2021
