Teo Nie Ching (right) visiting a PoP installation site at SJKC Yuk Syn on Wednesday. -Bernamapic
TENOM: A total of 85 per cent, or 547 out of 636, of the Phase Two installations for Sabah’s fibre optic network hubs, or Points of Presence (PoP), have been completed, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said.
She said the achievement positions Sabah among the fastest states in rolling out fibre optic infrastructure to expand Internet access in rural areas.
According to Teo, this also makes Sabah the second fastest zone after the Klang Valley, further demonstrating the government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide between urban and remote areas.
"For the Sabah zone, the government has invested up to RM1bil. We cover the costs for the telco companies awarded the contracts so they can deploy fibre optic infrastructure in these areas. This allows residents and schools to benefit from faster Internet access.
"This is a government initiative to ensure that rural and remote communities have access to high-quality internet,” she told Bernama when visiting a PoP installation site at SJKC Yuk Syn here on Wednesday (Nov 26).
Meanwhile, Teo, who conducted an Internet speed test at the school, found that connectivity exceeded 900 Mbps, despite the site being approximately 161km from Kota Kinabalu.
She said all 15 PoP sites in the Tenom parliamentary constituency - seven in the Melalap state constituency and eight in Kemabong - have been fully completed, although usage remains low.
"For Tenom, there are currently only 17 subscribers, while across Sabah, Phase Two PoPs serve around 8,486 subscribers. I believe many more can benefit by subscribing to the packages we have specially designed for these PoPs.
"In Sabah, users can obtain 300 Mbps for just RM35 per month under a two-year contract. This is a special package created exclusively for Sabah PoPs,” she said.
Teo added that with stable and high-speed connectivity, rural residents can now engage in educational, digital economy, and e-commerce activities more effectively. - Bernama
