KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) has announced that Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and YTL Communications (YTL) are the first two customers to access its 5G network.
The state-owned 5G provider said the latest telecommunications standard is now available in certain areas throughout Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, and Kuala Lumpur.
"End users with 5G-compatible devices will be able to enjoy an average speed of 100 Mbps. This means a user at the weakest point of 5G coverage will on average receive 100 Mbps on a 5G-compatible device," it said.
DNB chief executive officer Ralph Marshall said TM and YTL Communications are the first two companies to take advantage of its offer of free wholesale 5G services to all mobile network operators (MNOs) that are integrated into the DNB network.
Marshall said both telcos combined have almost 4.5 million subscribers and an average monthly data demand of 40 to 50GB per subscriber.
"We are pleased to welcome both TM and YTL Communications as our very first customers of the 5G network in Malaysia.
"TM is the country's oldest telecommunications provider, having introduced telecommunications services nearly 40 years ago in 1984, while YTL Communications is the youngest and only all-4G network provider in Malaysia," he said at an event marking Malaysia's 5G availability here today.
Marshall said DNB will provide wholesale 5G services to the MNOs at a significantly lower cost than their present cost to produce 4G capacity.
He said those MNOs that enter into the wholesale agreement before March 31, 2022 will receive access to all available capacity as sites go live in the period up to March 31, 2022.
"MNOs should therefore be able to offer lower prices to their customers for mobile services, which will include 5G services. It is hoped that MNOs will make available 5G services to their customers with compatible devices within coverage areas," he said.
Meanwhile, Marshall said as a provider of wholesale 5G services, DNB will not be competing with the industry in providing 5G retail services to end users.
"Instead, DNB is complementing efforts by the MNOs with a view to accelerating adoption of 5G in the country. End users are encouraged to contact their respective service providers to enquire about 5G availability," he added.
YTL Communications chief executive officer Wing K. Lee said the telco is excited to be the first in Malaysia to bring 5G to the rakyat, through our first-to-market 5G plans.
Lee said the availability of 5G, supported by DNB's robust ecosystem, will accelerate nationwide coverage and adoption of 5G.
"YTL Communications is committed to bringing a connected tomorrow to reality for all Malaysians," he said.
Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh David Hagerbro said the 5G network is complemented by end-to-end solutions that are able to manage the unique requirements of a single wholesale network.
This has been proven by the ability to integrate six MNOs onto the DNB Multi Operator Core Network – a global first, and a major technological milestone for Malaysia, Hagerbro said.
He was referring to DNB's ground-breaking MOCN integration demonstration on November 10, 2021, which successfully integrated five MNOs to the DNB 5G Radio Access Network (RAN).
"The unprecedented MOCN integration clearly demonstrates that Ericsson's leading 5G network experience and technology will allow DNB to share both network infrastructure and valuable spectrum resources with the MNOs, YTL Communications and TM.
"As we move forward to enable the digital transformation of Malaysia, I would like to thank the government for its efforts and commitment to 5G," he added.
Ericsson was appointed DNB's 5G network equipment provider (NEP) in July 2021, after an exhaustive selection process.