Sarawak begins regularisation of unapproved telco towers, says Julaihi

KUCHING (Jan 30): The Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) has launched a regularisation exercise for telecommunication towers across the state that operate without approval or in violation of existing regulations.

Speaking after the closing ceremony of the SMA Regulatory, Compliance, and Enforcement Training, State Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi said the process, which began on January 1, involves around 1,000 towers statewide.

“There are telecommunication towers that have been built for a long time but have not been formalised according to SMA Ordinance requirements and State Planning Authority approvals, even though these towers play an important role in ensuring connectivity.

“The key point is not to remove these towers, but to carry out a whitening process so that they can be regulated and formalised, as their function is critical to the people,” he said.

He explained that SMA plays a key role in long-term planning for the state’s telecommunication infrastructure, including proposals to acquire land for tower construction in urban, suburban, and rural areas.

“To build telecommunication towers, we need landed sites. It is therefore time for these sites to be owned by a single agency, and we believe SMA is the most suitable agency to assume this responsibility,” he said.

The minister added that the cost of acquiring each site is estimated at around RM50,000, depending on location, with SMA requiring about RM71 million if all necessary sites are obtained.

He stressed that the acquisition involves only ground plots, not structures on private buildings or rooftops.

On internet coverage, Julaihi said SMA has been tasked with identifying all “blind spot” areas, particularly in rural locations, along the Pan Borneo Highway, and in coastal settlements with growing populations.

“Sometimes internet connectivity suddenly drops when entering certain areas. These blind spots need to be addressed because our goal is to close the digital gap between urban and rural areas,” he said.

The effort aligns with the National Digital Network (Jendela) plan, which includes constructing 618 smart towers, with 614 already physically completed, signalling that Jendela Phase 1 is almost fully implemented.

Julaihi said Jendela Phase 2 will also be rolled out in Sarawak, with SMA playing a key role in identifying suitable locations, especially in areas still facing coverage issues.

He noted that the state aims to achieve full digital connectivity by 2030 under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030), but hopes to reach this goal even earlier if possible.