KUCHING: The Sarawak government has allocated RM1.89bil to implement the Sarawak Linking Urban, Rural and Nation (Saluran) initiative to provide internet facilities and catalyse the digital economy in the state.

       Sarawak Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi (pic) said the initiative included the construction of 600 new towers under the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) project.

       Wrapping up the debate for his ministry at the Sarawak State Assembly on Tuesday (May 24), he said Saluran also involved the provision of Wifi broadband access using satellite technology in 250 areas that currently did not have telecommunication services.

       Apart from that, SarawakNet, the state government's enterprise WAN (wide area network) infrastructure, has also been expanded to 60 sites throughout the state, with over 130km of fiber optic coverage in Sebauh, Bintulu through the Sebauh Rural High-Speed ？？Open Broadband Network pilot project.

       Other initiatives were the establishment of Points of Interconnection (PoIs) for Internet services in nine National Parks as well as the implementation of fixed wireless broadband services through the Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (MySRBN) package.

       "The National Digital Network (Jendela) programme in Sarawak implemented by the Federal Government through MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) is also coordinated under the Saluran initiative to avoid site duplication," he added. - Bernama