Suspending handphones on poles for internet coverage a thing of the past, says Pitas villager

Kampung Mangkapon resident Ulad Sugantong shows how he used a bamboo pole to raise a smartphone high up to catch internet connectivity, before a 4G tower was built in the area. — fotoBERNAMA

Ulad Sugantong remembers how he and fellow Kampung Mangkapon villagers used to suspend their handphones in plastic bottles on bamboo poles to receive better Internet connectivity.

For Ulad, 71, and the other villagers, mostly of Rungus descent, this is now a thing of the past. This is because a telecommunication tower providing 4G high-speed internet service was built in the village and came into service last September.

"Before there was a tower here, the villagers were busy climbing a hill to hoist their handphones in plastic bottles on poles, just like raising a flag, to gain internet access. Therefore, the villagers appealed to the government to erect a tower (telecommunication) in this village.

"With the tower now, it is no more running up and down (the hill), as all the villagers are happy not only in terms of helping in their children's studies, but also that they (villagers) can operate their own businesses," he told Bernama.

Ulad, who is also a pastor in the village, said with the internet connectivity, he and the other villagers can be informed about world affairs as well as communicating with others outside.

"We are happy to have internet with a fast speed as some villagers also have grandchildren living far away, so with the internet they are able to connect with them wherever they are," he said.

Meanwhile, for Ulad's daughter Rupyin Ulad, 45, the internet access is especially helpful to her two children, a Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) student in Batu Pahat, Johor and another an SPM student.

"It is sad to see my child hanging a phone on the pole just to receive internet access for the PdPR (home-based teaching and learning method) but we had to do this for a better internet connection.

"However, today with the communication tower, the internet speed is good and the children can study well. It provides a way for our children in rural areas to compete with children in the city," she said.

Rupyin also feels that villagers especially housewives like her will be able to earn a part-time income such as from Rungus handicraft like bracelets, necklaces and earrings made from beads.

"Only small businesses such as beaded bracelets are sold for RM10, but even small businesses can sell goods abroad, that is the advantage of the internet," she said.

Meanwhile, Rupyin's other daughter, UTHM bachelor of real estate management student Chrise Norsidi, 22, said she experienced difficulties when they did not have internet coverage as it was hard for her to register for subjects online at the university.

"During the online exam, I also faced problems because sending the answers over took time, especially if I had to send pictures online, as the internet was slow. In addition, there was a two- to three-hour time duration for the exam, so I always lost focus.

"The internet coverage makes a big difference now," she said.

Apart from that, Chrise said with the internet access in the village, she could connect with classmates anywhere to exchange opinions, communicate and study together, compared to previously when she was unable to communicate with friends after returning to her hometown.

Meanwhile, Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) director Izani Othman said they received complaints from the villagers about many students who found it difficult to follow the PdPR due to difficulty in accessing the internet.

We then met with the villagers and identified the problem and the solution. The communication tower, which took nine to 10 months to build, was completed in July last year and operational in September the same year.

"Indeed, we saw for ourselves the many difficulties... and the entrance to this area is very challenging but we managed to provide this tower for the villagers to get internet facilities," he said.

He added that the tower in Kampung Mangkapon was one of 109 towers completed and operational by December 2021, out of 538 towers proposed through the National Digital Network (JENDELA) plan in Sabah, while the remaining towers are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. — Bernama