More than 300 telecommunication towers are planned to be built in Sarawak under the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP) to further widen the Wifi Village programme in the state, Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim said today.

He said the ministry would focus on the implementation of the programme to enable more people, especially residents in the rural areas, to enjoy Internet facility.

Speaking to reporters after launching the state-level 1Malaysia Community at Dataran Jubli Emas in Limbang, he said, about 500 more villages in Sarawak had been identified for the programme.

He said the Very Small Aperture Terminal Satellite (VSAT) would be used in villages which did not have telephone line.

Meanwhile, Rais said about 2,000 villages which still could not receive the Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) transmission in Sarawak would be able to receive the transmission through an equipment using the satellite from next month.

The facility would enable residents in the affected areas to view programmes aired by TV1, TV2 and the "Muzik Aktif" programme produced by RTM.

He said the project would be carried out with the cooperation of Astro.

- Bernama