Deputy Minister of Utilities and Telecommunications Datuk Liwan Lagang said the initiative to broaden telecommunication network coverage will continue with 18 towers upgraded from 3G to 4G, while fibre optic for 450 premises was completed this year. – Bernama photo

KUCHING (Nov 23): Seven more telecommunication towers in Kalaka constituency will be in operation by next year, said Deputy Minister of Utilities and Telecommunications Datuk Liwan Lagang.

He said one had been completed in Sungai Engkabang and will be in operation in the first quarter of 2023, while six will be built and expected to be in operation by the fourth quarter of 2023.

This will ensure that all areas in Sarawak will have sufficient number of towers, he said when answering a question from Mohamad Duri (GPS-Kalaka) in the august House today.

“In Kalaka’s Taman Seroja, a completed tower is currently awaiting equipment installation and expected to be operational by end of January 2023 while for Taman Melor, the equipment is expected to be delivered by mid-January next year and operational latest by end of February 2023.”

The initiative to broaden telecommunication network coverage will continue with 18 towers upgraded from 3G to 4G, while fibre optic for 450 premises was completed this year, he added.

The Belaga assemblyman said some 7,000 telecommunication towers and structures are needed to ensure full coverage throughout Sarawak, including in rural areas.

“Currently, a total of 3,471 telecommunication structures are up in Sarawak. Of that figure, 2,186 are in operation while 285 towers are expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2023.”

In addition, some 600 telco towers in rural areas under Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) project and 742 new towers under National Digital Network Plan (Jendela) are scheduled to be operational in phases in 2023.