Earlier this month, we reported that Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) said Malaysia’s 5G network has achieved almost 50% coverage of populated areas (COPA) and is on track to reach 80% coverage by the end of 2024.
But one day later, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, tweeted that he wasn’t informed of this report and asked DNB not to publish any more reports without going through him and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). It seems that the current administration is still not done with 5G as they are planning to put a policy on it.
Malay Mail reports that according to Fahmi, the plan for the rollout of the 5G network by DNB will be presented to the Cabinet before the end of Q1 2023, following consultations with the Ministry of Finance, telecommunication companies, and DNB.
We still need a little more time to discuss the matter, we have received feedback from all parties and the Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) and the Ministry of Finance are currently looking into it.
I expect that before the end of the first quarter of 2023, we will be able to present it to the cabinet and from there I believe the government will announce the policy on the implementation of the 5G network.
Ministry of Communications and Digital, Minister, Fahmi Fadzil.
As previously reported, the chief operating officer of DNB, Nasution Mohamed, stated that the deployment of 5G network coverage in populated areas across the country has surpassed the initial goal of 40% and has reached almost 50% by the end of 2022.
Will this new policy make the 5G network rollout slower? We certainly hope not. But if you are living in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya, this policy probably has very little impact on you because the 5G coverage in those three areas has already reached more than 90%.
