Greater Kuching digital upgrade spans four councils, separate from Sarawak Jendela rollout

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A RM550 million smart-city project will cover Greater Kuching, while a separate RM545 million Jendela rollout targets connectivity gaps elsewhere across Sarawak. The two allocations are not the same pot of money.

The Kuching Smart City and Digital Connectivity project initially covers Kuching North, Kuching South, Padawan and Kota Samarahan council areas. Its planned systems include public Wi-Fi, a shared city platform, traffic-management tools and support for emergency response. Data and artificial intelligence are part of the design, alongside cybersecurity and data protection.

An agreement for the Kuching project was signed at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly complex on October 15. That is the signing venue; the intended service area is Greater Kuching, not just the assembly precinct.

For residents, the distinction is practical: the city programme concerns urban services as well as digital infrastructure. The first phase of Jendela Phase 2, announced separately, is intended to improve internet access at nearly 350 locations across the state, through six project clusters. Letters of acceptance have been handed to the appointed companies, with equipment expected to reach tower sites in the coming months.

Neither announcement means new Wi-Fi or improved mobile coverage is already available at a particular address. Local installation details and service activation are the milestones to look for before changing an internet plan.