| Siti Hajar |
PLANS for Brunei’s fibre connection as part of Telekom Brunei Berhad (TelBru)’s Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) initiative are expected to reach Tutong and Muara next year.
It was shared yesterday that the telco is reaching its designated milestones with the biggest one to come between the third quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2017 to bring their connections up from 37,000 to 45,000 with the remaining 8,000 representing those in some of these particular areas.
In an interview with the team overlooking the technological aspects of Brunei’s connectivity revolution, comprising Pengiran Mohd Sazali bin Pengiran Haji Razali, Head of Core Network of TelBru; Edwin Lim, General Manager of TelBru Access Network; and James Pugh, Chief Technology Officer of TelBru, at TelBru’s headquarters in the capital, they explained that the telco’s growth plans will cover all corners of the country, including the Temburong District, long considered disjointed from the rest of the country.
“We will be looking into Temburong sometime next year,” they explained, adding that the company is “very excited” to connect all residents in the country with the services that are on offer through better network and infrastructure.
“We are definitely not leaving Temburong behind,” they assured, adding that upgrades in the district are necessary by way of migrating them from copper to fibre, justifying the move that unless these measures are implemented, the telco could potentially lose customers residing in the district that is the Green Jewel of Brunei.”
Edwin Lim, General Manager of TelBru Access Network; James Pugh, Chief Technology Officer of TelBru; and Pengiran Mohd Sazali bin Pengiran Haji Razali, Head of Core Network of TelBru in a group photo. – SITI HAJAR
“We need to provide Brunei with the best service, even if it means the duration of investment return is long,” that can be compensated by the added value services that come naturally with faster connectivity.
“As a unified TelBru this is hand-in-hand with our goal to create a Smart Nation,” with the bridge to link Temburong to the rest of the country also playing a vital part in the company’s planning.
“Investors will start coming into Temburong once the bridge is completed and when that happens we will already be there to offer and provide our services,” the officials explained.
Not wanting to confine their capabilities to just the residents of Brunei, it was also pointed out that there is a possibility to connect Temburong’s tourist locations noting that connectivity, namely the Internet, is a major attraction worldwide.
Since its rollout five years ago much has changed in the country’s communications landscape with the wider public noticing speeds that were once unimaginable.
When the company first embarked on this megaproject to provide Brunei with world-class service, it was shared that TelBru had to experience a number of setbacks, challenges that have strengthened its resolve to honour its commitments.
With its no-holds-bar campaign since changing management the company now has a presence in providing feedback and input in Brunei’s development plans with a representative embedded in Brunei’s Authority for Building Control and Construction Industry (ABCi) to assist in verifying approval and permits for FTTH installations, including those in government housing areas.
Other government housing areas are also expected to receive the same service with surveys taking place to estimate the work that needs to be done.
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