GEORGE TOWN, Dec 21 — The Penang state exco has approved a requirement for developers to install fibre optic telecommunications infrastructure in new development projects, said state exco Zairil Khir Johari.
The Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman said it is now compulsory for developers to comply with this requirement for any new development projects in Penang.
“This is part of the state’s strategic Penang Connectivity Master Plan for the need of telecommunications infrastructure to become part of the required basic infrastructure provisions under By-Laws 25 and 27 of the Uniform Building By-Laws 1984 at the local council level,” he said in a statement today.
Zairil said the compulsory requirement meant that fibre optic infrastructure is part of the basic infrastructure of any development on the same level as electricity and water supply.
“Penang is the first state in Malaysia to implement this policy to acknowledge the importance of fibre optic infrastructure as a basic infrastructure for all developments,” he said.
He said the decision to make the installation of fibre optics infrastructure compulsory was to support the availability of high speed internet since copper-based internet is no longer relevant now.
The Penang lawmaker said the state is committed to ensuring the availability of high quality digital infrastructure to support the needs of the new normal and the digital economy in the state.
“The enforcement of this new policy is not only the main enabler to reach our goal of becoming the first Gigabit State in Malaysia but will also hasten the process of implementing 5G technology that is soon to be realised,” he said.
He hoped that with this new policy, other than providing high speed internet for the people, it would also spur the digital economy as an important growth sector for the state.