The agreement signed in Lawas on Aug 26 brings Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and Syarikat SESCO Berhad (SESCO) together to use communications infrastructure already owned in Sarawak. It includes SESCO’s Virtual Fibre network, with the overall network alignment reported at about 1,926 kilometres.

The gap is felt in everyday services. Businesses in Lawas have faced e-payment problems, while the Lawas district police headquarters has also experienced internet issues despite its role in disaster management. Better links would support education, healthcare, government services and emergency response across the two northern divisions.

This is an infrastructure agreement, not a switch-on notice. The parties have not given a launch date, coverage map or speed target, so the next meaningful update will be where the route reaches and whether service interruptions ease.