This article appeared in The Star on 20 September 2022.

KUCHING: Satellite broadband technology will be used to provide connectivity to 600 villages in Sarawak that still lack Internet access, says Tan Sri Annuar Musa.

The Communications and Multimedia Minister said this is in line with the government's commitment to ensure that all of Sarawak will have connectivity by 2024.

"We have identified about 600 villages in Sarawak which do not yet have fibre optic network or telecommunication towers.

"For this last-mile connection, we will use satellite broadband technology," he said when distributing PerantiSiswa tablets to students at the Teacher Education Institute Batu Lintang Campus here on Tuesday (Sept 20).

Annuar said Internet connectivity was important to ensure that every Malaysian had equal opportunities to be knowledgeable and keep up with the latest developments around the world.

"We want our people to be at the forefront of the nation's development and be good citizens," he said.

Annuar later told reporters that the satellite broadband services would be deployed under the National Digital Network (Jendela) plan.

He said it would cover 1,400 villages nationwide, including the 600 in Sarawak.

"If we were to install a fibre optic network or telecommunication towers in these villages, it might take 10 years. I don't think the people should have to wait that long, so we will expedite the connectivity under Jendela using satellite technology," he said.

He added that the tender process for the satellite broadband was currently being finalised and implementation would start next year.

On the PerantiSiswa scheme, which provides free tablets to B40 students, Annuar said some 350,000 applications had been received under phases one and two.

He said the applications for both phases would be processed simultaneously and distribution rolled out on an ongoing basis so that successful applicants would not have to wait for their devices.

"We hope to distribute at least 80% of the devices to the recipients by the end of November," he said.