Malaysia is well on its way to a golden digital decade, according to Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil who mentioned that the country is on course to becoming a digital tiger of Asia.
Strengthening the 5G infrastructure will be the focus of the country, he said, with multinationals such as Ericsson which has set up their manufacturing plant here in Malaysia.
Ericsson will also boost local manufacturing capabilities and nurture a strong ecosystem that will spur the development of new and innovative 5G cases and services. Across many industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and many more, 5G will enhance connectivity, speed, and reliability for businesses and consumers alike.
Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil
According to Bernama, Fahmi’s speech was read out by Deputy Teo Nie Ching at the inauguration of the Ericsson Global 5G equipment manufacturing facility in Penang.
The development of the infrastructure, according to Fahmi, will be the building blocks of a sustainable digital ecosystem that can accelerate the country’s transformation into an inclusive, digitally-enabled and technology-driven high-income nation, as well as a regional lead in the digital economy.
Malaysia’s 5G network coverage is now at 64.7% of populated areas, according to Fahmi, with 5,289 5G towers built nationwide as of 30 June.
Meanwhile, in Penang, the 5G network coverage reached 67.7% of populated areas—ahead of the national average, with 290 out of 470 towers built.
Malaysia has also emerged on top in median 5G download speed across Asia Pacific markets, according to the most recent report by Ookla, a global leader in network intelligence and connectivity insights.
Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil
Malaysia ready for 5G
Malaysia is ready to move forward and embrace 5G, which will have a transformative impact on local businesses, while consumers and enterprises can benefit from the increased speed, lower latency and improved reliability that the technology brings, Fahmi said.
The country’s plan to accelerate the deployment of the technology will also encourage efficient infrastructure-sharing and improve power consumption and reduce carbon emissions.
I strongly believe that initiatives like this will further support and firmly position Malaysia as the heart of Digital Asean. This will inspire and encourage more industry players to continue leveraging Malaysia to expand their footprint in this region.
Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil
