KOTA KINABALU: Better broadband penetration is expected in Sabah once the underwater cabling project from here to Cherating, Pahang completes by the end of 2017.

State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister Datuk Siringan Gubat said the project was part of a government project known as Projek Sistem Kabel Rakyat 1Malaysia (SKR1M) to improve broadband capacity and speed between peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak.

“Another project related to telecommunications infrastructure especially on fibre optic is being implemented by private companies.

“The project BIMP-EAGA Rink is the installation of underwater cable within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines East Asean Growth area,” he said during the 14th state assembly sitting, adding those companies were Sedco Communications Sdn Bhd, Brunei International Gateway, Philippines’ EA-Trilink and Indonesia’s Telekom Asia.

Siringan was responding to questions by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (Bingkor-Star) on government’s planning to improve Internet services and any moves to provide free Internet as in Pulau Pinang and Selangor to the people in Sabah.-nst