Sacofa, ZTE Malaysia team up to boost Sarawak’s rural digital connectivity

KUCHING (March 4): Sarawak’s leading telecommunications infrastructure provider Sacofa Sdn Bhd has formalised a strategic collaboration with global ICT solutions provider ZTE Corporation through its subsidiary ZTE (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd (ZTE Malaysia) to accelerate digital connectivity across the state, particularly in rural and remote communities.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) aims to advance Sarawak’s digital infrastructure in line with the state government’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and Digital Economy 2030 agenda.

The MoU exchange took place at the Mobile World Congress (MWS) 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, on March 2, witnessed by Deputy Utility and Telecommunication Minister Datuk Liwan Lagang and other guests.

The agreement was exchanged between Sacofa chief executive officer Jafer Sadig Abdul Lathiff and ZTE Malaysia account director Li Peng.

According to a press release, the collaboration demonstrates a long-term commitment to providing innovative and sustainable telecommunications solutions, with a focus on expanding reliable connectivity to underserved areas while minimising environmental impact.

Under the strategic framework, Sacofa and ZTE Malaysia will explore deploying next-generation connectivity solutions, including rural pilot base stations for scalable coverage expansion, advanced fibre access technologies such as GPON and XGS-PON, high-speed Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for last-mile connectivity, and trusted public Wi-Fi platforms aligned with government security standards.

To address infrastructure constraints in remote regions, the partnership will also incorporate hybrid microwave and satellite backhaul architectures, solar and hybrid-powered green energy systems, and intelligent remote monitoring platforms for autonomous operations.

The initiative complements Sacofa’s state-wide network modernisation programme, aimed at accelerating broadband access to homes, longhouses, schools, healthcare facilities and enterprises, particularly in areas where conventional fibre deployment poses logistical challenges.

ZTE Malaysia managing director Steven Ge said the company is proud to support Sarawak’s digital transformation journey.

“By combining advanced fibre access, high-performance FWA, trusted public Wi-Fi platforms, integrated rural base stations and smart green energy systems, we aim to deliver scalable and secure connectivity solutions tailored to Sarawak’s diverse landscape,” he said.

Jafer Sadig said Sarawak’s aspiration to become a high-income and digitally advanced state requires forward-looking infrastructure strategies and trusted technology partnerships.

“Through this strengthened collaboration with ZTE Malaysia, we are accelerating rural connectivity via fibre, FWA and secure public Wi-Fi platforms to ensure inclusive access to digital services for all Sarawakians,” he said, adding that strong technology collaboration is essential to achieving the PCDS 2030 and Digital Economy 2030 objectives.