KOTA KINABALU: Eleven telecommunications towers in the West Coast Division of Sabah have been identified for urgent site hardening work to ensure stable electricity and communication networks during natural disasters.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil stated that priority will go to towers most at risk during the northeast monsoon and those frequently hit by power outages.
He revealed that a recent power disruption in eastern Sabah affected several telecommunications towers, prompting an analysis of outage data from the past two years.
“Based on that data, I’ve requested that towers most frequently affected by outages be equipped with backup solutions such as generators or solar systems,” Fahmi told reporters after visiting the Communications Ministry Integrated Complex.
The minister noted that power disruptions also affect the operation of the National Information Dissemination Centre, with the site hardening work expected to finish in the next few months.
Fahmi also announced that the Mobile Integrated Radio and Internet Communications System, or PRIME, will be deployed to Sarawak next.
The vehicle-based PRIME system functions as a mobile support unit deployed during disasters to maintain internet and communication connectivity for security and rescue teams.
Two PRIME units were deployed in Sabah and one in Peninsular Malaysia on September 7th as part of efforts to enhance communication readiness during emergencies.
The system is particularly vital in areas prone to network disruptions or internet outages during disaster scenarios. – Bernama
