SMART600 RURAL TELECOMMUNICATION TOWERS SET FOR COMPLETION BY Q3 - SDEC

KUCHING, April 11 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak Multimedia Authority’s (SMART) ambitious SMART600 project — involving the construction of 600 rural telecommunications towers — is on track to be completed and fully operational by the third quarter of this year.

According to Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) chief executive officer Datuk Sudarnoto Osman, this represents an earlier-than-expected completion ahead of the original timeline, which targeted the fourth quarter or end of the year.

“As of now, construction of about 580 towers is completed. We expect about 60 to 80 towers to be fully functional within this month,” he said during the SDEC Media Appreciation event last night.

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Sudarnoto highlighted that the work progress has been highly encouraging, with full completion and functionality projected by July or August.

“To date, around 456 SMART towers are already operational, equipped with Multi Operator Core Network (MOCN) and Sarawak Rural Broadband Network (MySRBN) technologies.

“This progress normally accelerates during the hot season as access to construction sites is easier compared to the rainy season, which presents more challenges due to potential flooding and muddy, impassable roads,” he said.

In May last year, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil witnessed the signing of the SMART600 MOCN Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), involving SDEC and major telcos—CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, and YTL—marking a significant step forward in enhancing digital connectivity across rural Sarawak.

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the project is expected to benefit approximately 1,000 rural settlements in Sarawak. Through this initiative, communities will enjoy network coverage regardless of their chosen service provider.

-- BERNAMA