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MIRI BROADBAND COVERAGE REACHED 60 PER CENT

Published in The Borneo Post, 29 September 2007

MIRI: The Miri pilot Wi-Fi city project has hit over 60 per cent of coverage, and the project which is on course is scheduled to be completed by November. A total of 34 base-stations have already been established and another 26 are coming up in 10 locations in the city, Infrastructure Development and Communication Assistant Minister Lim Kee Shin said yesterday. Lee was speaking to the reporters after chairing the Miri Broadband Communication Group (MBSG) committee meeting.

"There are nearly 11,000 subscribers presently and the figure is expected to double when the installation of the base station ancillary infrastructures including pico stations and boosters are in place in november," the assistant minister said.

He said the group's vision and mission was to make Miri one of the most connected wireless cities in the country and help precipitate a knowledge-based economy and knowledge-society. He said it included a robust web portal where citizens could access high quality contents related to education, business, tourism, employment and health, adding that community groups could also post and exchange information on neighborhood issues and events.

It is targeting to have 100 per cent penetration rate within Miri City and suburban city perimeters with competitive and affordable rates to common people and community with high speed and reliable access. According to Lee, the upcoming hotzones are Permyjaya area, Tudan area, Desa Senadin area, Miri Port/Kuala Baram area, Piasau Camp (Boat Club), Kampung Pulau Melayu area, Luak area, Bakam area and Miri Airport area.

Lee urged Malaysian Airport Berhad (MAB) and other building owners in strategic locations to cooperate and enable the hot zones to be established at Miri airport as business and tourism flyers first set foot at the building in the city through a win-win Sacofa-Danawa. There are currently over 60 locations here which have been covered under the hotzones, including the business district, schools and even tennis courts.

Lee wanted them to be extended to public place, including the several parks in and around the city which could be ringed with either 45-feet monopole similar to lamp posts or antennas attached to rooftops of high buildings. For places with low reception, including the Immigration Department at Yu Lan Plaza, he suggested that they installed boosters to overcome the limitations for optimum signal.