High speed internet on Pulau Tioman with undersea fiber optic network
KUANTAN: The implementation of an undersea fiber optic network to Tioman Island, Rompin under the initiative of the Universal Service Provision Program (PPS) supervised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) allows all villages on the island to enjoy high-speed broadband Internet facilities.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the implementation of the project involving the fiber optic network from Kuala Rompin to Kampung Tekek on Tioman Island for a distance of 75.2 kilometers (km) was fully completed in September 2018 with an installation cost of RM37.1 million.
In addition, the 8.5 km Kampung Mukut fiber optic project connecting the fiber optic network from Japamala to Kampung Mukut via Kampung Nipah and Kampung Sarang Burung with an investment cost of RM2.2 million was implemented by Telekom Malaysia (TM).
“The project involved which started in September 2022 was completed in December 2022 and is now a complement to all the villages on Pulau Tioman available with fiber optic networks.
“With increasing awareness and demand, the fiber optic usage rate is currently at the level of 61 percent of the population with an estimated 466 premises on Pulau Tioman,” he said in a statement here today.
Fahmi said the project in Kampung Mukut is very important because it complements efforts to connect all the villages on Pulau Tioman with an optical fiber network.
“(This project) will not only bridge the digital divide among the community but will also be able to stimulate the digital economy of the community and the tourism industry of Pulau Tioman,” he said.
Fahmi said the latest developments in the implementation of Tioman Island’s undersea fiber optic network, which is part of the National Digital Interconnection Plan (JENDELA) initiative, were reported to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah during a working visit by Her Majesty to the island last Sunday.
The briefing was delivered by MCMC Chief Operating Officer Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus.
In addition, Fahmi said nine mobile service communication towers have also been upgraded through network sharing involving four network providers namely Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile have been available in all villages on the island, except for Village Sarang Burung which is scheduled to be completed this March. .
The implementation, according to him, makes Pulau Tioman the first island to have 100 percent 4G coverage for all major mobile service providers by the end of the first quarter of 2023.
“My hope is that with all the infrastructure facilities available, residents are encouraged to get service subscription packages that suit their individual needs to enjoy high-quality and high-speed Internet access,” he said.
