KUALA LUMPUR: Dewan Rakyat was told today that 42% or 365 of 853 Orang Asli settlements have access to 4G cellular network.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo (pix) said 82% or 702 Orang Asli villages were already enjoying 3G coverage.
He was responding to Lim Kit Siang (PH-Iskandar Puteri) who wanted to know about the latest cellular communication system coverage for Orang Asli according to the type of connectivity – 2G, 3G, and 4G, and the ministry’s plans and completion dates for cellular telecommunications system upgrading projects.
“The ministry through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has and will implement various initiatives via its national fiberisation and connectivity plan (NFCP) to improve communications coverage in rural areas including Orang Asli settlements.
“Upgrading of broadband services in these areas will be implemented and completed in stages by 2023,” Gobind said.
He said the NFCP 4, to commence in 2020 would provide and upgrade cellular and broadband coverage for 151 Orang Asli settlements.
To a supplementary question from Lim on infrastructure, Gobind said the ministry would utilise the special allocation in Budget 2020 to provide broadband to remote areas in Sabah and Sarawak via satellite technology.
He also disclosed that under the universal service provision (USP) programme, 92 telecommunication towers had been constructed in several states among them, Selangor, Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Johor and Kelantan, with six more under construction and nine at discussion stage.
The five-year NFCP was launched in September. — Bernama
