Malaysia is finally looking to get its 5G act together after over 2 years in limbo. While the country started its 5G conversation early in 2019, political instability, the pandemic and multiple changes in the plans for 5G have seen the country without widespread 5G connectivity until now.
In 2021, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) was established to be the single “special-purpose” vehicle for the country’s rollout of 5G under the purview of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Since then, DNB has been in a tumultuous state with telcos refusing terms and even members of the public and experts criticising DNB’s presence.
However, in late 2021, DNB did an initial launch of 5G with only two telcos – TM and YTL Communications (YES) onboard. Since then, little has changed with DNB continuing to set up 5G infrastructure while it struggled to reach a consensus even with the MoF’s invitation to telco to take up a stake in the vehicle. In early October 2022, an agreement was finally reached with two telcos – U Mobile and Maxis – abstaining from claiming a stake in DNB. DNB is now owned by MoF (35%), YTL Communications (20%), TM (20%), Celcom Axiata (12.5%) and Digi Telecommunications (12.5%). Celcom Axiata and Digi are in the midst of a merger following the agreement between parent companies Axiata and Telenor to merge operations. In light of this merger, the resulting company’s stake was limited to 25%. As of 31 October 2022, five of the six telcos in Malaysia have finally signed an access agreement with DNB for access to the 5G network.
With all the drama done with, Malaysia is finally getting widespread coverage starting with key areas in the country’s central region of Klang Valley. Aside from YES – which has already rolled out its 5G offerings – telcos are beginning to provide access to users starting on 1st November 2022. Digi and Maxis have yet to announce any offerings for 5G. We’ve summarised the usage and plans available in the table below for easy reference.
| Telco | 5G Rollout | Details |
|---|---|---|
| YTL Communications (YES) | Already available | 5G is available on: 1. Infinte+ Postpaid plans 2. FT5G Unlimited Prepaid 3. Wireless Fibre 5G plans |
| TM | 31 October 2022 | TM Unifi Mobile users will be able to access the 5G network for free until 31 December 2022. After which it seems like they will need to register for the new Uni5G plans to access the 5G network. Prices for subscriptions start at MYR1. |
| Celcom Axiata | 1 November 2022 | 5G access will be available to all Celcom subscribers according to their plans for free until December 2022. Plans included: 1. Celcom MEGA Lightning (80, 98, 128, ,158 and 188) 2. Celcom Xpax Postpaid (40 and 60) 3. Celcom Xpax Prepaid (35 and 45) |
| U Mobile | 3 November 2022 | U Mobile subscribers of their recently launched 5G Ready U Postpaid plans will be able to use the 5G network with compatible devices. Prepaid users on U25 and U35 plans will need to redeem a “Speed Booster” for free which entitles them to 1 hour of 5G connectivity a day with up to 30 hours a month. |
| Digi | TBA | TBA |
| Maxis | TBA | TBA |
It’s worth noting that Maxis, one of the nation’s largest telcos, has yet to ratify the access agreement. The company has cited that its board is still accessing the requirements for the 5G Access Agreement. In its statement to the press, Maxis states, “Maxis is committed to playing an active role in bringing 5G to the nation in line with the Government’s digital ambitions, and to utilising Digital Nasional Berhad’s (DNB) network for 5G services. The Company looks forward to bringing the best of 5G services and solutions to its customers and is confident of launching 5G in the near future”. The company has also recently appointed a new CEO, Goh Seow Eng, who has served in Advanced Info Service (AIS) in Thailand. Goh will be taking the reigns from Gökhan Öğüt, who has been the CEO of Maxis for nearly 4 years.
So, it looks like Maxis and Digi customers can expect an announcement in the near future possibly with revamped plans.