Dr Abdul Rahman (third right) signing the plaque while Dr Zaidi (second right) and Senep (right) give their thumbs-up. Also seen is Chin on the left behind Dr Abdul Rahman. – Photo by Agnes Tugong.
KUCHING (Feb 20): Kampung Sibu Laut now has free broadband internet connectivity WiFi Kamek thanks to Reach10 Communication Sdn Bhd supported by the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA).
Launching the internet service at the village near Telaga Air here earlier, Assistant Minister of Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said the free internet service would provide the much needed internet connectivity to the villagers, especially its schooling children so that they would be able to participate in online learning at home amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Kampung Sibu Laut is among the remote villages selected for this initiative. With this facility, we hope that the livelihood of villagers here would improve,” he said during the launching ceremony this morning.
Meanwhile Reach10 Communication Sdn Bhd director Leo Chin said this initiative had been implemented since last year involving seven villages including Kampung Sibu Laut.
The other villages are Long Bosan in Belaga, Long Moh in Marudi, Nanga Sumpa in Lubok Antu, and in Kuching Kampung Semilang, Kampung Beradek and Kampung Tiang Api.
For Kampung Sibu Laut, Chin said WiFi Kamek has a bandwidth of 25Mbps with a coverage of within 50 meters from the village.
Sibu Laut village chief Senep Yasin told reporters that he is thankful to Reach10 Communication Sdn Bhd, SMA and the state government for providing free internet service to his village.
He said with WiFi Kamek, villagers can access the internet without the need to go outside of their village to find data coverage on their smartphones, especially those who are schooling and in need of study materials from the internet.
“Previously it was difficult to get data reception for internet in this village. The (schooling) children had to go all the way to the end of the jetty by the sea, and other locations outside the village to find internet coverage on their phones.
“But now with WiFi Kamek, they do not need to go outside of their homes to have internet coverage. The youngsters tried it out last night and the speed was quite impressive,” he said.
On another note, Dr Abdul Rahman, who is also Pantai Damai assemblyman also gave out food aid to villagers under the Pantai Damai Prihatin Programme to help those struggling financially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also present during the ceremony were SMA general manager Dr Zaidi Razak and Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) director Ir Chang Kuet Shian.
The post Digital gap in Kampung Sibu Laut now bridged thanks to ‘WiFi Kamek’ internet service appeared first on Borneo Post Online.