State Utility and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi speaking at a press conference in Kuching. - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Sarawak is exploring the space industry and satellite technology intending to deploy its own orbital assets, says state Utility and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Seri Julaihi Narawi.
Towards this end, he said the state government had set up a space industry and satellite technology committee (Siscom) to develop a policy framework and establish governance structures.
"We aim to create a robust ecosystem that supports the growth and application of satellite technology across various sectors, with the aspiration of owning and managing our own assets.
"This is the dream we have... hopefully, it will materialise," he told a press conference after a briefing on satellite technology by Measat here on Friday (Aug 2).
Julaihi said deploying satellite technology had the potential to spur economic growth and development in Sarawak, besides improving connectivity.
"Sarawak is very large, with many areas yet to be fully connected. This is one of the measures we are taking," he said.
As such, Julaihi said it was important for Siscom to understand the technology to make well-informed strategic decisions regarding its planning and implementation.
The committee is chaired by Julaihi, with the Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA) as its secretariat and relevant state agencies among its members.
Separately, Julaihi said Sarawak was looking into the possibility of utilising Starlink as an interim solution to provide telecommunications connectivity in rural and remote areas.
He said Sarawak currently relied on the construction of telecommunications companies' towers to improve connectivity but faced topographical challenges.
"We are improving day by day to get the rural and inaccessible areas connected to the rest of Sarawak.
"If Starlink offers better technology as an interim solution to get all areas in Sarawak fully connected in a short time, why not? We can explore that," he said.
Julaihi also said data security would be prioritised in the use of satellite technology.
He said Sarawak would look at keeping its data within the state's shores to prevent breaches.
"As much as we want the technology to solve our problems and get all parts of Sarawak connected, data protection must be our top priority as well.
"We do not want any private data to be compromised," he said.
