Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), Celcom Axiata Bhd, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, YTL Communications Sdn Bhd and U Mobile Sdn Bhd, have executed their respective access agreements with Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) which basically means that the five telecommunications companies will offer their customers 5G services soon.
Malaysia’s 5G plans have been periodically postponed since last year, due to a deadlock between the government and major carriers over pricing and transparency, as well as worries that a single state-run network would lead to a nationalized monopoly.
Currently, the five telco providers covered by the access agreements are leasing DNB’s 5G network as it is being deployed. DNB will offer the national 5G wholesale network product, which is a base product on DNB’s 5G access network, in accordance with the access agreements.
According to Telekom Malaysia, the terms and conditions for the 5G service are outlined in the access agreements, which went into effect retroactively on October 7 and will remain in effect until they expire on October 6, 2032, a period of ten years.
The deployment of 5G services would strengthen TM’s position as the preferred partner in speeding the adoption of fixed-mobile coverage via 5G and fixed broadband solutions, according to the company, which had about 2.9 million fixed broadband subscribers as of June 30.
As of September 30, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said that 33.2% of Malaysia’s populated areas had access to 5G networks. According to the commission, coverage will reach the 80% goal set by the government by 2024 if all goes according to plan.
DNB has started implementing the 5G roll-out plan since December 2021, and by the end of this year, the MCMC expects to have around 38% of populated regions covered.
