KUCHING — The Sarawak government is negotiating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to leverage national JENDELA towers for expanding the Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (MySRBN), announced Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi at Wednesday’s Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) event.
This strategic collaboration would supplement existing SMART Towers built by Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), potentially accelerating internet access for remote villages and longhouses. “Our Pulau Bruit campaign proved rural communities urgently need connectivity to participate in digital economic activities,” Julaihi stated during the Integrated Business Digitalization Initiative @ Sarawak (BDI@SARAWAK) launch.
The minister emphasized that enhanced broadband access directly supports Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (PMKS), enabling online market expansion and financial inclusion. Current discussions with MCMC focus on integrating MySRBN equipment onto JENDELA’s 1,200+ Sarawak towers – a move that could halve infrastructure deployment costs according to preliminary estimates.
Deputy Digital Minister Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong confirmed positive negotiations, noting JENDELA’s existing maintenance frameworks would ensure service reliability. The initiative aligns with Sarawak’s Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 digital targets, which aim for 95% 4G coverage by 2026.
Recent MySRBN installations already connect 47 longhouses in Kapit and Mukah divisions, with average speeds of 30Mbps – sufficient for e-commerce and telemedicine applications critical for rural communities.
