Summary Bullets:

• 5G is finally available in Malaysia but there is still a lack of innovations with the service providers.

• 5G monetization may not be critical, but telcos need to expand their initiatives with partners to explore new applications.

5G is Finally Available in Malaysia

Malaysia started its 5G journey as early as 2019, but the service was only widely available in the country in November 2022, after all major telcos except Maxis signed the Access Agreement (AA) with the sole wholesale provider Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). For more, please see Malaysia 5G Through SPV: One Step Forward and Two Steps Back, March 8, 2021 and 5G War Begins Again in Malaysia as Launch Nears, September 24, 2021. Those service launches were rather late compared to neighboring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Currently, Malaysian telcos are focused largely on offering 5G as part of their mobile plans for the mass market. There are limited initiatives with enterprises to leverage the technology to co-develop new solutions. However, with a fast-expanding population coverage from 33.2% in September 2022 to (planned) 80% by 2024, combined with a strong push by the government through various industry initiatives, enterprise 5G development in the country is expected to accelerate within the next two years.

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