KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Nasional Bhd's (DNB) new board of directors will make recommendations on the rollout of the second 5G network after it discusses findings of a due diligence report on its share sale agreement (SSA) with five mobile network operators (MNOs) next Tuesday, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
"So that meeting next week is for the directors to meet and have a look at the due diligence report and discuss what to do next, of course we will announce that later, as we go along," he told reporters at the sidelines of DNB and Ericsson' s launch of a programme to promote the digitalisation of enterprises.
DNB appointed five new members to its board to join the other two incumbent members, Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican and Ma Sivanesan Marimuthu.
The five are nominees from the MNOs.
Gobind said the board of DNB will have a period of 20 days, after the board meeting, to come up with recommendations for the second 5G network.
"I won't speculate on the timeline, as they need time to assess the reports and inform us of the next steps, likely after next week," he said this when asked if the roll out of the second 5G network comes after that.
To recap, five MNOs, namely CelcomDigi Bhd, Maxis Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, U Mobile Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, entered into SSAs with DNB and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc) on December 1 last year.
The SSAs, Gobind said, were established to put into effect the government's policy on the transition from a single wholesale network model to a dual network model.
Upon completion of the SSAs, the MNOs will collectively subscribe to 70 per cent equity in DNB, with each holding a 14 per cent stake, leaving MOF Inc with 30 per cent equity and a special share that will grant it certain special rights for a stipulated period.
The equity injection is a prerequisite for a second 5G network.