Govt will use all available tech to achieve 100% telecom access by 2025, says Annuar

KOTA KINABALU: Every technology available is being explored to ensure that 100% of Malaysians, even those in the most isolated areas, will have access to telecommunications services by 2025.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the target, set under the 12th Malaysian Plan (12MP), includes exploring Low Earth Orbit satellites, radio access networks and TV white space, which utilises unused frequencies between the active ones in the VHF and UHF spectrum.

“We want to see areas not covered by Jalinan Digital Negara (Jendela) connected as well," he said at the Creative Industry Digital Economy and Communication Council meeting here on Friday (June 3).

On Sabah’s ongoing upgrading and construction of telecommunications towers, he said the project is on track with 86.9% 4G coverage of populated areas in the state so far.

“Through our meeting today, all the state excos and stakeholders have decided to find a way to streamline the implementation process because every state and every local authority has its own set of regulations,” he said.

According to Annuar, these minor discrepancies had led to setbacks in some upgrading works in some areas around the country.

Annuar said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will draw up a set of implementation guidelines for use around the country, with the consensus of all stakeholders.

He urged each state's MCMC team to work with the relevant local government agencies to overcome issues in order to speed up the implementation of upgrading telecommunications services across Malaysia.

He also cautioned telcos and contractors not to build towers without the approval of local authorities for safety reasons as well as to prevent loss of revenue if complications arose from unauthorised construction.

“I heard that there are illegal towers in Johor... if this is true, action has to be taken,” he said, while urging anyone with knowledge of such towers to inform the authorities.