MCMC has long-term plan to provide internet access to Sabah's interior districts

KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today said it has a long-term plan to improve telecommunications coverage in the interior districts of Sabah.

For a start, it will upgrade a communications tower located 2.88km away from the Lagud rubber settlement scheme to provide 4G services to residents, said the MCMC corporate communications department in a statement today.

The project is expected to be completed by April 2022.

MCMC was responding to the plight of two students from SMK Entabuan, Tenom which is located 160km from the state capital.

The students, Richeal Claudia Rabinus and Cypriantine Severinus, both 17 and classmates, were reported to have trekked to hilly areas located 2km away from their homes to get internet access.

They had set up a wooden hut inside a rubber plantation and would spend seven hours each day to attend home-based learning and teaching (PdPR) sessions since May 12 following the implementation of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

They were forced to traverse uphill to prepare for the Silji Pelajaran Malaysia examination which they could not afford to miss.

Next, said MCMC, under the National Digital Network (Jendela), a digital infrastructure plan is in place to meet the needs of digital connectivity and prepare the nation for a gradual transition to 5G technology.

MCMC is planning to build two communication towers between Kampung Mandalom Baru and Kampung Ulu Entabuan which is located 2.75km apart.

It is expected to be operational in April 2022.

Meanwhile, construction will begin on another tower in early 2022 in Kampung Makakumpai, located 3.3km from Kampung Ulu Entabuan.

When the communications towers are in place, internet access problems can be overcome, said MCMC.