Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will make sure that Sarawak is not left out in the new economy or digital era.
Towards this end, he said Putrajaya had approved RM290 million to implement a connectivity recovery plan which represented the first phase of his entire project to bridge the digital divide in Sarawak.
“We hope to achieve 85 per cent coverage by having communication towers throughout the state.
“Next month, I will launch (wider) cellular communication in Sarawak – 4G and 3G. This is the second phase. All including the longhouses in Sarawak will get it (4G/3G),” he said when launching the Malaysia Inklusif Negara Digital (Minda) programme at Kuching Waterfront here today.
Najib said some RM1.8 billion would be required to achieve high-speed broadband up to 10MBPS in urban areas.
“This is our target for urban areas. For rural areas, our target is four to 10MBPS. With high-speed broadband, we can have better voice and network data.
“It is to help e-learning, e-government, e-banking, e-commerce and so forth. This is the second phase which needs a huge fund, but we will implement it through Public Private Initiatives.”
He added that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is also in the process of widening cellular and WiFi connectivity in Sarawak.
A total of 150 communication towers and 438 WiFi spots are being implemented by MCMC, he said, adding that the commission is working closely with Celcom, DiGi, RedTone and MIASAT.
Najib said an undersea cable is also being constructed and expected to be completed in three years at a cost of RM850 million.
“We truly have big plans. Among other initiatives, we have e-rezeki and e-usahawan to train Malaysians to make extra income of RM300 to RM400 a month with an average of two to three hours a day spent in the digital world.
“The new economy will be implemented for Sarawak because we want Sarawak to be on par with Semenanjung, and this will happen in the coming years,” he said.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Lim How Pim
Quelle/Source: The Borneo Post, 12.03.2016
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