PUTRAJAYA: A new communication tower will be built to overcome the problem of inadequate internet access at the Suing longhouse in Teberu, Ulu Kemalih, Pakan in Sarawak, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

       The MCMC said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 17) that construction of the tower had been planned for this year by the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) to provide 4G coverage in the area.

       Earlier, there was a viral report on student Frank Steward Panting Sa, 19, from Pakan having to make a two-hour trek up Bukit Kelingkang to get good internet connection to attend an online interview with Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Perak.

       The MCMC said it took note of the case and sympathised with the plight of the student.

       It added that based on the information received, the longhouse has internet Wifi under the Sarawak Linking Urban Rural and Nation (SALURAN Wifi) project, an initiative implemented by the Sarawak government through the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA).

       SALURAN Wifi is an internet service using satellite technology capable of offering an average speed of up to 25Mbps, and this service is an interim measure to give internet coverage to residents of Suing longhouse and its surrounding areas, it added.

       The MCMC said it would cooperate with SMA to identify a more appropriate method of access to ensure quality of experience for the existing SALURAN Wifi at Suing longhouse.

       "This step is important to enable local residents including the affected student to follow teaching and learning sessions and conduct their daily activities properly,” it added. - Bernama