Zainab Md Saman used to experience choppy calls to the point where she had to leave her house in Kampung Kuala Segangtang Garam here, even at night, to get better mobile phone reception.
But the completion of the construction of a telecommunication tower near her village in June has brought an end to her difficulties.
“Before this, I had to leave my house and look for a place with better coverage so I could have a clear phone conversation. It got to the point where I told my kids that if it’s not urgent, don’t call me at night since leaving the house during those hours can be quiet dangerous for me.
“With the new tower, I can now call my children whenever I want, especially if there is an emergency, without having to leave home,” the 69-year-old religious teacher told Bernama recently.
Meanwhile, Kedah Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) director Mazlan Othman said the tower was built to help solve internet connectivity issues faced by residents in the Segantang Garam area.
He said that 67 new telecommunication towers are currently being constructed in Kedah, including in Baling, Padang Terap, and Sik, under the National Digital Network (JENDELA) plan, with two of them, one of which is in Segantang Garam, completed and operational.
“All of these towers are expected to be completed by the end of the year before going through testing and they will be ready for operation in the second quarter of next year,” he said.
Mazlan said that once all the towers are completed and operational, it will improve telecommunication coverage and internet access in the state.
Segantang Garam Floating Restaurant manager Nurul Azreen Azlan, 24, said previously, many of her customers had trouble completing online payments and had to pay in cash due to poor internet access in the area.
In addition, she said business matters, such as receipt management, had to be done manually, and that orders placed by customers via WhatsApp were sometimes received late.
“As internet connectivity improved, our customers now had the option of paying in cash, via online transfer, or e-wallet and we were able to conduct business efficiently and reply to client orders quickly” she said.
Merbok Area Farmers’ Association general manager Faizul Mat Hassan said that before the telecommunication tower was built, efforts to promote PPK’s floating chalet located next to the floating restaurant were slightly hampered due to poor internet connectivity.
“Previously, I had to travel 13 kilometres to the Merbok PPP Office or four kilometres to Kampung Bujang in order to use the internet, but now everything can be done here at the chalet,” said Faizul who also expressed his gratitude to the government for the efforts to enhance the network coverage in the area.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
