Regulators are targeting the construction of 77 new telecommunications towers along about 50km of highway stretches with unsatisfactory coverage, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said.
The plan follows a memorandum of understanding between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Malaysian Highway Authority to strengthen communications infrastructure across the national highway network.
Nanta Linggi said reliable connectivity was essential to support smart-highway systems, including real-time traffic management, digital asset monitoring, responsive safety measures and a more efficient travel experience.
Future initiatives such as Intelligent Transport Systems, data-driven traffic analytics and the Multi-Lane Fast Flow toll system would also require comprehensive and dependable communications infrastructure, he added.
The collaboration will focus on locations facing geographical and technical challenges that require targeted solutions.
Nanta Linggi said highways had become strategic economic corridors linking commercial centres, industrial areas, ports, airports and communities, making smarter and more resilient infrastructure increasingly important.
