Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that the signing of the Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) share subscription agreement (SSA) is anticipated within a week.
Fahmi expressed that following the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting, the signing of the SSA for 5G is anticipated to take place within a few days, provided that everything progresses as intended, according to Bernama.
However, Fahmi did not reveal the specifics of the SSA between DNB and the mobile network operators (MNOs).
Regarding the dual 5G model rollout, the minister stated that it would only commence once DNB achieves 80% coverage in populated areas.
Fahmi disclosed, “This will happen after we reach 80%. As of the end of October, we were at 73%.”
When asked about the timeline for reaching the 80% coverage goal, Fahmi indicated it could be achieved either by the end of December 2023 or January 2024.
DNB, holding the exclusive 5G spectrum in Malaysia, has committed to achieving 80% coverage by the end of 2023.
To bolster this ambitious objective, five major MNOs – CelcomDigi Bhd, Maxis Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, U Mobile Sdn Bhd, and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd – have agreed to acquire equity stakes in DNB.
This collaborative effort is expected to expedite the deployment of 5G infrastructure and networks nationwide.
