PAKAN: The Government receives an annual contribution of about RM800mil from the country's telecommunications companies, said Deputy Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang.
He said each company, earning more than RM2mil annually, needs to contribute 6% of its gross revenue which is channeled into the Universal Service Provider Fund.
"It is this contribution that the Government, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), utilises to set up telecommunications services in rural areas, places where the telcos do not operate due to the unattractive profit margin.
"These include the setting up of community broadband centres (CBC) for rural folks to learn to use computers and surf the Internet," he told Bernama after officiating the Pakan CBC centre here yesterday.
He said there are now 18 such centres in the state.
Urging the people to make full use of such facilities, Salang said: "I would especially like our longhouse chiefs to not merely get acquainted with computers but to learn how to surf the Internet to gain knowledge and become better leaders."
On the Pakan CBC set up early this year, he is glad to note it now has about 300 registered members.
Salang said the Government is confident of achieving its target of 50% Internet penetration among the nation's 6.5 million households by year end.
On the distribution of netbooks to targeted groups, he said the Government would spend RM1bil to buy a million such laptops.
"The Government will distribute 650,000 sets to poor secondary students nationwide based on recommendations from their teachers, while the balance will be given to ordinary folk," he said. - Bernama
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