Malaysia's Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil has announced that Sabah will serve as a testing ground for direct-to-device satellite internet technology as part of the second phase of the National Digital Network Plan, known locally as JENDELA Phase II. The initiative represents a significant shift in how Malaysia approaches digital infrastructure for its most geographically challenging regions, moving beyond traditional tower-based connectivity to embrace satellite solutions that can bypass geographical constraints. During a courtesy call on Sabah's Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman in Kota Kinabalu, Fahmi outlined the strategy that will determine the future trajectory of internet access across East Malaysia.
Direct-to-device satellite internet represents a technological leap in connectivity potential, enabling mobile phones to receive internet signals directly from orbiting satellites without requiring ground-based infrastructure. This technology bypasses the traditional requirement for telecommunications towers, which have historically been the backbone of mobile networks. For Sabah's remote communities scattered across its vast terrain, this capability offers genuine promise in addressing the digital divide that has persistently hindered economic development in peripheral areas. The proof-of-concept phase will identify and test the technology at carefully selected locations across Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia, allowing policymakers to assess its practical viability before committing to larger-scale deployment.
The broader JENDELA Phase II project encompasses over 300 locations across East and Peninsular Malaysia, reflecting the Malaysian government's ambition to achieve comprehensive digital coverage. Fahmi explained that the implementation strategy diverges from conventional approaches, recognising that remote areas face distinct challenges compared to more densely populated zones. While some locations will continue to rely on tower installations, others will shift toward satellite-based solutions or alternative technologies that eliminate the need for ground infrastructure entirely. This diversified approach acknowledges a fundamental reality: traditional telecommunications infrastructure, while proven in urban and suburban contexts, faces substantial obstacles in mountainous or geographically dispersed regions where installation costs, maintenance challenges, and geographical barriers make tower deployment prohibitively expensive.
The minister elaborated on why accelerated deployment timelines matter for Sabah's development prospects. Tower installation typically requires a minimum of two years and encounters numerous practical complications, from securing remote terrain to managing weather challenges and supply chain logistics. For communities waiting to access reliable digital services, this timeline represents a considerable delay in achieving economic participation. Satellite technology offers an alternative path that could substantially compress implementation schedules, enabling faster delivery of connectivity to underserved populations. This acceleration carries particular significance given that digital connectivity increasingly determines access to employment opportunities, education, healthcare services, and financial inclusion across Malaysia.
Complementing the satellite internet initiative, the MADANI Submarine Cable Connection project, formally known as SALAM, represents another pillar of Malaysia's East Malaysia digital strategy. The submarine cable initiative will establish new undersea connectivity linking multiple strategic ports across Sabah and Sarawak, fundamentally transforming data infrastructure in the region. Rather than concentrating all connectivity at a single landing point in Tanjung Aru near Kota Kinabalu, the expanded system will create redundancy and capacity across Sedili in Kuching, Miri in Sarawak, and Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah. This geographical distribution of landing points addresses a critical vulnerability in the previous system while enabling faster, more stable internet services essential for developing digital economy applications.
Fahmi emphasised that the submarine cable expansion reflects recognition that East Malaysian ports have distinct economic potentials that centralised infrastructure cannot adequately serve. Tawau, in particular, positioned as an emerging economic gateway with growing trade connections to the southern Philippines and Indonesia, requires dedicated capacity rather than relying on bandwidth shared through a single northern landing point. The distributed network architecture also provides redundancy; if one landing point experiences disruption, traffic can route through alternative connections, enhancing overall system resilience. For businesses increasingly dependent on cloud services, remote data access, and real-time communications, this infrastructure improvement signals commitment to positioning Sabah and Sarawak as serious digital economy participants rather than peripheral recipients of bandwidth overflow.
Beyond infrastructure deployment, Fahmi stressed that the ministry remains committed to fostering digital literacy across Sabah's population. This emphasis reflects recognition that infrastructure alone cannot unlock digital economy benefits; users must possess the knowledge and awareness necessary to leverage connectivity safely and productively. The minister highlighted concerning trends in online safety, noting that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has identified over 2,000 fake accounts nationwide in recent weeks, accounts utilised to disseminate misinformation, distribute inappropriate content, and facilitate scams and gambling operations. For Sabah specifically, the prevalence of fake accounts represents a growing risk, particularly as younger populations gain greater internet access through improving connectivity.
The expansion of fake accounts across Malaysian digital platforms mirrors global trends where bad actors exploit growing user bases and technological sophistication to generate financial gain or political advantage. The Malaysian experience demonstrates that as digital infrastructure expands, so too do opportunities for criminal exploitation unless accompanied by robust regulatory frameworks and community education. Fahmi indicated that the MCMC will intensify efforts to identify and remove fake accounts, particularly those engaged in criminal activities, and will coordinate specifically with Sabah authorities on combating this emerging threat. The commitment reflects understanding that digital infrastructure investments can only realise their potential when users feel protected from online exploitation and misinformation.
The convergence of these initiatives—satellite internet deployment, submarine cable expansion, and enhanced digital literacy campaigns—represents a comprehensive approach to digital transformation in Sabah. For Malaysian policymakers, the Sabah rollout functions as a crucial laboratory for testing technologies and approaches that may subsequently extend to other geographically challenging regions across Southeast Asia. International observers monitoring digital development in the region will look to Sabah's experience to assess whether satellite-based solutions can genuinely bridge connectivity gaps that tower-based infrastructure struggles to address. The stakes extend beyond Malaysia; successful demonstration of direct-to-device satellite technology could influence how other Southeast Asian nations approach last-mile connectivity in remote territories.
Looking forward, the timeline for JENDELA Phase II implementation will determine whether Sabah and Sarawak can accelerate their digital economy participation. Fahmi committed that the ministry would ensure all initiatives proceed according to schedule and budget constraints, while acknowledging that project management in remote regions involves inherent unpredictability. As construction crews mobilise to install submarine cables along Sabah's eastern coastline and satellite operators prepare testing equipment for remote communities, the region stands at an inflection point. Success in this phase would not merely improve internet speeds for existing users; it would fundamentally alter which economic activities become feasible in Sabah's peripheral communities, potentially triggering the type of digital-led economic restructuring that has transformed other regions globally.
