Yakub (fourth right) presents the 300GB vouchers to villager od Kampunt Waluhu in Ranau.
KOTA KINABALU: Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi Sabah (KSTI), Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and MEASAT Global Berhad (Measat) have successfully deployed CONNECTme NOW, community broadband via satellite to the villagers of Kampung Waluhu, Ranau, Sabah.
The initiative arose following a recent incident involving several students who had to enter the forest and possibly encounter wild animals in their journey to get internet access for online learning in January 2021.
“The installation of CONNECTme NOW with the first 300GB sponsored by the Sabah State Government is an immediate solution for the community of Kampung Waluhu to ensure they are able to get internet coverage to access information and to aid them in their daily activities.
“The lack of internet connectivity is due to the limited radius of terrestrial broadband network in rural areas of Sabah and this forced villagers to search for specific locations to access broadband.
“While the construction of a telecommunication tower is a longer-term solution, this will take a long time for it to be completed as compared to broadband connectivity via satellite,” said Datuk Yakub Khan, Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi Sabah.
CONNECTme NOW is employing Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and High Throughput Satellite (HTS) technology and the service is delivered through a sustainable prepaid business model for rural broadband connectivity. With no contract or fixed monthly charges, subscribers only pay for what they use with Prepaid Access Code (PAC) vouchers at CONNECTme NOW community WiFi hotspots.
“We are very sympathetic to the students who places their lives at risk to get an internet network to attend online classes. I am glad that Measat’s CONNECTme NOW service is fast and nimble enough to be set up anywhere, bridging digital divide across our Sabah rural communities,” Yakub Khan concluded.
“We are pleased to be able to provide CONNECTme NOW to the community of Kg Waluhu and help them overcome the challenges of broadband communication. While there is proactive focus by the Government on strengthening the existing terrestrial networks, it will still take a long time to upgrade connectivity in underserved areas.
“Satellite-based broadband services are the ideal, practical and immediate solution in providing connectivity to communities in rural areas and it can be ready in just a matter of days,” said Measat chief operating officer Yau Chyong Lim.
CONNECTme NOW has been making waves in providing community-focused satellite broadband services to realize national broadband aspirations.
Today, CONNECTme NOW is rapidly connecting the unconnected rakyat with over 100,000 broadband connections nationwide for the Rakyat residing outside of 4G or terrestrial coverage, empowering rural communities to be part of the digital economy.
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