KOTA KINABALU: More than 300 residents in Kampung Gana, Papar and another 200 in Kampung Kumawan, Tambunan can now enjoy better internet access with ‘CONNECTme NOW’, a community-based high-speed prepaid broadband service via satellite.

MEASAT Global Berhad (MEASAT) in a statement today said the initiative, in collaboration with the Sabah Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (KSTI), and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was in line with the continued commitment to power an inclusive future where everyone has access to the internet. 

“With the first 300GB sponsored by the Sabah State Government to each village, KSTI intends to urgently address the issue of poor internet access and connect more people, enterprises, and institutions across rural areas to high-quality, affordable broadband internet,” read the statement.

CONNECTme NOW uses Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) and High Throughput Satellite (HTS) satellite technology.

These VSAT terminals along with WiFi hotspot equipment, will enable villagers within a 100m radius to receive the broadband service.

The service can be accessed using Prepaid Access Code (PAC) vouchers with no contract or a fixed monthly charge.

Meanwhile, Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Yakub Khan in the same statement said bridging the digital divide was among the key measures in improving the quality of life and economic opportunities of Sabahans, especially in rural areas.

“To make digitalisation and innovation adoptable at the public level, the necessary infrastructure improvements must be set in place across the state and not limited to central areas,” he said.

To date, CONNECTme NOW has provided more than 100,000 broadband connections to communities residing outside of 4G or fibre-optic internet coverage.

The statement added that MEASAT had invested RM1.2 billion to build its next-generation satellite, MEASAT-3d, to improve its support of cost-effective high-speed broadband with speeds of up to 100 Mbps in rural areas.