Chief Minister (five left) is ready to launch the completed telecommunication tower and services through a speedtest gimmick.

KUCHING, 30 June, 2020 – Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) announces the successful service commissioning of the Authority’s first ever SMA 300 telecommunication tower at Luban Ulu, Betong today. This forms part of the state’s concerted effort to connect rural and underserved areas of Sarawak.

The Right Honourable Chief Minister of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi (Dr.) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg graced the launch event, accompanied by YBhg. Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Chief Minister of Sarawak.

With the deployment of 3G/4G network coverage, the local community in Luban Ulu will now benefit from a richer internet experience when compared to the existing EDGE network. This tower is capable of providing broadband coverage of up to 5 km.

The launch, today, is a significant one in that the ground breaking ceremony for this project was performed by YAB Chief Minister himself back in March, 2019. Since then, a hundred and eight four (184) of the total three hundred (300) towers have been completed throughout the state under this SMA 300 programme. In Betong Division alone, thirty-one out of thirty-six towers have already been completed.

The commissioning of 3G/4G service for the rest of the completed towers will be rolled out in phases. In this regard, the Authority continues to build strong public-private partnerships with telco service providers namely: Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile to narrow the connectivity divide in Sarawak.

‘As we put up additional towers, SMA is also synergising with Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission and their JENDELA plan to add more towers in Sarawak. This is in response to the new patterns of internet usage as a result of COVID-19’ remarked Dr. Zaidi Razak, General Manager of SMA