Using balloon satellites to enhance internet service By Lim How Pim
KUCHING: Balloon satellites instead of telecommunication (telco) towers may be used in remote areas to enhance Internet connectivity throughout the state.
In stating that the state might adopt this technology, Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said a balloon satellite, which covers a wider spectrum, could work better than telco towers especially in hilly areas.
“With balloon satellite, the spectrum will be there to cover the area whereas a tower cannot cover all because of mountains. We now have one in Long San, Ulu Baram, which is just a test bed.
“If successful, we will be the first in the world to use that. I’m now working with a company from Silicon Valley, the United States,” he said when launching the Tegas Digital Innovation Hub (TDIH) at iCOM Square in Pending here yesterday.
Abang Johari, who visited Long San on Sunday, said a volunteer from Silicon Valley is now in the remote area to provide tuition on Science and Mathematics to children there.
“Imagine a volunteer from Silicon Valley, willing to go to Long San to teach our children algebra and algorithm. Our children in Long San are now learning algebra with a tablet.
“If this rural area is successful, we can do it in other areas so that our students will be good at Mathematics,” he said.
The Chief Minister called on young Sarawakians to make good use of TDIH which has been tasked to promote the culture of nurturing talents and create innovation to ultimately move the state forward.
“I hope this is the first step towards digital economy,” he said, adding that the state’s proposed Digital Village in Samajaya here would be materialised by 2020.
At the same time, he hoped to see young Sarawakians dedicated and passionate about innovation so that they could invent things that impress the world.
He said they could also play a role to help leapfrog Sarawak’s present mechanisation level from the present 2.0 to 4.0 (artificial intelligence).
“I know Sarawakians are talented people and they can bypass the 3.0 which is Microsoft and Internet.
“Many Sarawakians are successful overseas such as in Singapore, Australia and Canada. They are not here because we don’t have that system in Kuching,” he said.
He thus believed that once Sarawak thrived in digital economy, it would be able to produce more successful entrepreneurs.
He said similar hubs would be established in Sibu, Sarikei, Bintulu and Miri.
“And therefore we can groom new entrepreneurs and new businesses and eventually transform our economy into digital economy,” he said.
Prior to this, he pointed out that the state must have qualified human capital.
For this reason, he said Yayasan Sarawak was now offering scholarships for new courses such as cyber security and bioengineering in order to produce the right expertise.
He added that Sarawakians must have “the command of knowledge” as their state leapfrogs to digital economy.
Among those present were State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong and Assistant Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment and Tegas (Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Bumiputera Sarawak) chairman Datu Len Talif Salleh.