(Borneo Post; August 2nd, 2004)

KUCHING: The East-West Submarine Cable System, a new state-of-the-art link between Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, is now operational to provide a higher bandwidth to enhance the speed and efficiency of information and communication technology.

With a capacity of 20 gigabytes per second, the new system will be able to better support enhancements in the dynamic telecommunications industry, said Sacofa Sdn Bhd managing director Abang Jemat Abang Bujang.

"As such, Sacofa is providing the people with an alternative to surf the crest of the digital wave more reliably and cost-effectively," he said when launching the system together with State secretary Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain in connection with the company's third anniversary celebration at a leading hotel here on Saturday night.

Jemat said Sarawak could become a major communication hub, not only hi Malaysia but also within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asia Grow Area (BIMP-EAGA) region with an efficient telecommunication infrastructure. Sacofa had taken a step forward with the commissioning of the new system to provide Sarawak, Malaysia and the entire BIMP-EAGA region a reliable and more advanced digital bridge to reach out to the rest of the world, he said.

" This is what we need in the future as telecommunication tools have become more sophisticated," he said, adding that the government had been very supportive of the company's efforts to link Sarawak to the rest of the world via the electronic super highway. Pointing out that the company aimed to put Sarawak on the map, he said the system would not only ensure the State become well connected to the world but also be an ideal marketing strategy to attract foreign investors. "A reliable, advanced and cost- effective telecommunications infrastructure could be an added attraction to foreign investors hi Sarawak," he said.

Meanwhile, Aziz said the usage of the Internet would be increased with the new system that offered a higher bandwidth to make broadband services available. "The system is actually an early infrastructure for the BIMP-EAGA region and once this is fully in place, the BIMP-EAGA will be connected and it will give impetus for further developments for our mutual benefit.

"This technology will allow a better exchange of ideas and improve trade in general," he said, citing as an example that teleconferencing would enable business community around the region to conduct meetings online and new ideas could begin to take shape faster.

He reckoned that new businesses would emerge and the existing ones would be enhanced in the region with improved communications among the countries concerned.