DUN Sarawak: Satellite Internet solutions to villages without coverage

KUCHING, Oct 15: A community-based satellite broadband pioneer project is proposed in the Semuja Hills area to address the problem of weak Internet coverage in some villages especially hilly settlements that are difficult to receive telecommunications tower signals.

Member of the National Assembly (ADUN) Bukit Semuja, John Ilus said that the approach can be implemented based on the experience of Jepak Connecting Program which uses satellite broadband technology to provide internet access to 74 villages and long houses.

According to him, a RM5 million programme launched last August through the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) shows the potential of satellite technology in providing internet connectivity in areas that are difficult to reach telecommunications tower coverage.

"For remote villages with a small number of houses, the construction of new towers requires high costs and long periods of time. Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, such as Starlink also used in Jepak, can be installed quickly.

"This technology is not intended to replace the SRBN, but rather complement existing networks for areas that cannot be reached by telecommunications towers", he said.

He said this while discussing Sarawak Budget 2027 at the 19th Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Conference today.

John explained that the residents of Bedup, Rasau Village, Remun, Slabi, Sorak and Rih are still facing poor internet signals, including in their homes, due to the village's protected position from telecommunications tower coverage.

He said the situation was affecting the daily affairs of the population, especially students who needed a stable internet connection to complete assignments and conduct research without having to go into town to access the internet.

In this regard, he requested the Sarawak Ministry of Utility and Telecommunications, together with the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) and SDEC to conduct technical assessment in the village within three months.

According to him, efforts to expand broadband access through Sarawak Budget 2027 should also include satellite-based solutions for areas with difficult internet coverage.

Meanwhile, John welcomed the allocation of RM6.4 billion in Sarawak's Budget 2027 for rural development including RM309 million for construction of SMART telecommunications towers through Alternative Financing as well as RM20 million for subsidization of Sarawak's Suburban Broad Line Network (SRBN).

However, he stressed that the effectiveness of Internet coverage should not be judged based on the number of towers or the percentage of coverage alone, but also taking into account the real experience of people getting internet access in their homes. - TVS