Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak said the government had a target that by 2020 Internet penetration will be around 95 per cent.

“To achieve this we need to look for or develop very compatible new systems,” he told reporters today after the launch of a communications tower in Long Urun, about six hours’ drive from Bintulu town.

The tower, belonging to Digi Telecommunication Sdn Bhd which allows for the provision of 4G LTE cellular and Internet services and communications system, was launched in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

Long Urun is a Penan settlement comprising 14 longhouses, including four Kenyah longhouses, as well as SK Long Urun. It has a population of about 1,200.

The communication tower is touted as the first of its kind in the country, using the latest SmallCell (Doppler 5000) and VSAT technologies.

Salleh noted that Prime Minister Najib Razak and Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem both wanted better communications to bring about greater rural development.

He said the Federal Government would continue to collaborate with telecommunication service providers to develop the best systems which could penetrate and provide services in the most remote of rural areas.

“We have also asked MCMC to identify remote rural areas which are still without these services for us to rectify the situation phase by phase,” he said.

Salleh hoped that the Long Urun folk would use the now available services to communicate with each other and beyond.

He said they could also go online for knowledge concerning government policies and gather information so that they could discern the truth from slander and lies that were circulated.

– BERNAMA