The Education Ministry today gave assurances that radiation from the broadband transmitters being installed in schools nationwide as part of the 1Bistari.net programme, pose no threat to the health of students.

NONE "According to World Health Organisation (WHO) studies, the radiation level is 565 units lower than it is at home," assured its Deputy Minister Wee Ka Siong ( left ) in the Dewan Rakyat, today.

He explained that a telecommunications monopole will be built in all schools or else transmitters will be mounted on existing high structures like water tanks, to link it with the 1Bistari virtual learning network and provide broadband coverage.

Wee related that 10,019 schools nationwide will be fitted with the system supplied by the YTL-linked Yes 4G telecommunications provider, which provides 4 megabits per second broadband WiFi to schools, with schools far in the interior to have VSAT access of 2 megabits per second.

He also added that the costs to the schools will also be lower at RM475 per month as opposed to the older and much slower school.net link which cost schools RM600 per month.

Wee said that the ministry will provide allocations to schools to pay the fee.

The 1Bistari system, Wee explained, is necessary to implement virtual learning and will also benefit the communities close to schools as the broadband coverage can range from two to four kilometres in diameter from the schools.

At the moment, he said that the ministry is focusing on building the broadband infrastructure and the rest of the virtual learning components will follow suit.

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