Sarawak and Sabah lowest in Internet dial-up facilities
ACCORDING to official figures, Sarawak, with a population of only 2.2 million and a population density of 17 per sq km, has an Internet dial-up penetration rate of only seven per cent as at March this year.
Of all the states in the country, it fared better than its neighbour Sabah, which registered the lowest penetration rate at only four per cent.
While admitting household incomes had a significant impact on the people's affordability to subscribe to internet services, Aden argues:
Given the availability of relevant supporting infrastructure, namely reliable power supply and telephone lines, the penetration rate may easily double or triple in no time.
Easily hundreds of Sarawakian households, especially those with school-going children who have to master Information Technology, at this point of time, are only waiting to subscribe to the Internet....The reason is obvious: A big number of the villages, especially those located on the fringes of towns still have to depend on generator sets for their power supply and are still being deprived of having a fixed telephone line at home.
To depend on generator sets would also mean the people would have to make do with unreliable and unstable power supply. Worst of all is that most of the villages that still depend on generator sets would have the luxury of power supply for barely five hours nightly, normally between 6.00 - 6.30pm and 10.30 - 11.00pm.
Ironically, if nothing is done urgently to tackle the problem, the people will not only have to be satisfied with unreliable power supply but they would also be deprived of the need for their children to master IT - the in thing in all of today's workplace and lifestyle.
Aden suggests the federal government to take another step and build the relevant communication link, perhaps through allocation of more funds to subscribe to the Internet.
Of all the states in the country, it fared better than its neighbour Sabah, which registered the lowest penetration rate at only four per cent.
While admitting household incomes had a significant impact on the people's affordability to subscribe to internet services, Aden argues:
Given the availability of relevant supporting infrastructure, namely reliable power supply and telephone lines, the penetration rate may easily double or triple in no time.
Easily hundreds of Sarawakian households, especially those with school-going children who have to master Information Technology, at this point of time, are only waiting to subscribe to the Internet....The reason is obvious: A big number of the villages, especially those located on the fringes of towns still have to depend on generator sets for their power supply and are still being deprived of having a fixed telephone line at home.
To depend on generator sets would also mean the people would have to make do with unreliable and unstable power supply. Worst of all is that most of the villages that still depend on generator sets would have the luxury of power supply for barely five hours nightly, normally between 6.00 - 6.30pm and 10.30 - 11.00pm.
Ironically, if nothing is done urgently to tackle the problem, the people will not only have to be satisfied with unreliable power supply but they would also be deprived of the need for their children to master IT - the in thing in all of today's workplace and lifestyle.
Aden suggests the federal government to take another step and build the relevant communication link, perhaps through allocation of more funds to subscribe to the Internet.
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