KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) has been taken to task by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil and subsequently Netizens, over its 5G coverage claim.
Fahmi, in a Twitter post on Wednesday, told DNB to substantiate its claim that it had exceeded its last year's 5G rollout target, amid public scepticism over the scarcity to get the super high-speed broadband coverage.
Fahmi said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had yet to verify DNB's 5G coverage claim, adding that the company should not publish any claims prior to verification.
"I think @DNB_Official must explain how they arrived at these figures. @MCMC_RASMI has not yet verified this info. Next time I don't think DNB should publish prior to verification," he tweeted.
DNB, which had previously said the rollout of the entire 5G network was expected to cost RM16.5 billion over the next 10 years, annlounced on Monday that it had attained close to 50 per cent 5G population coverage by December 2022.
"DNB has achieved more than 90 per cent Copa (coverage of populated arees) throughout Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and Selangor as well as some 50 per cent across Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan.
"All other states are in various stages of deployment and, together with the aforementioned states, are expected to achieve full network deployment in 2024, if not earlier," it said.
Chief operating officer Nasution Mohamed said having exceeded its 2022 network coverage target, DNB was working closely with both mobile network operator (MNO) partners and device manufacturers to promote and encourage the rapid adoption of 5G nationwide in 2023.
DNB also said that except for Maxis Bhd, all MNOs - Celcom Axiata Bhd, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, U Mobile Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd - had made retail 5G services available to their more than 20 million subscribers.
This followed the signing of their respective 5G access agreements with DNB on Oct 31 last year.
Malaysia unveiled the plan for DNB to own all 5G spectrum, with various carriers using the infrastructure to provide mobile services, in 2021.
Some users are not receptive to the coverage claims.
One James Chin, via his Twitter handle @jameschin110, tweeted: "Media must stop printing fake news. I cannot even get 4G in a town in #Sarawak. Bought a 4G data card and the speed is like 3G or less ... How many of you in #Sabah #Sarawak get 5G? or real 4G? please share here."
Former Media Prima Bhd's Television Networks group managing editor of news and current affairs Datuk Seri Mohd Ashraf Abdullah tweeted: " I live in Denai Alam, Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor. I hardly get three bars on my 4G network. Now DNB says it has achieved 50 per cent 5G coverage. Can DNB release the list of areas which it claims have 5G coverage so we can check it out?"
Another Twitter user via handle @liciece, tweeted: "Even though #DNB claimed they exceeded 50 per cent populated areas and not every 5G mobile phone owner can enjoy the service. In Digi.Com, it only opened the 5G network to some higher tier users such as postpaid."
Another Twitter user @ameen7006, tweeted: "Definitely needed an explanation from DNB. Most of the iPhone users can't even get that 5G coverage and the big question is how come 50 per cent coverage achieved by DNB!"
Twitter user @DaHangMuda also tweeted: "Is @DNB_Official already too big a monster to slay? And the rakyat will continue to suffer slow speed but high fees? Is such a crony-poly model in the best interest of all the rakyat? These are the questions we would like to have answers to."