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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's 5G network rollout has achieved 50 per cent coverage of populated areas (Copa) nationwide by December 2022, said Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).

The company said it was now focused on delivering the committed target of 80 per cent Copa by end-2024, if not earlier. 

"The network currently reaches some 15 million people today and when fully deployed, it will reach more than 30 million people and businesses," it said in a statement today. 

Chief operating officer Nasution Mohamed said having exceeded the company's 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. 

"The MNOs have introduced numerous 5G data plans for their customers at very attractive retail prices, so as to encourage adoption of 5G services," said Nasution. 

State and local councils have supported DNB by providing accelerated approvals for deployment. 

Consequently, DNB said it was able to recover some shortfalls in setting up sites and achieved a speedier deployment during the last month.

DNB achieved more than 90 per cent Copa throughout Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, and Selangor as well as some 50 per cent across Johor, Malacca and Negeri 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.

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 (YES) – have made retail 5G services available to their more than 20 million subscribers, following the signing of their respective 5G access agreements with DNB on Oct 31, 2022. 

Maxis customers are unable to access retail 5G services pending their shareholders' approval to execute the 5G access agreement with DNB.

Maxis has indicated it plans to seek in January this year.

Since the launch of 5G services by the five MNOs, Malaysia's 5G network has seen an eight-fold increase in usage from 32TB to 253TB per day, with a peak of some 90,000 concurrent users as of Dec 31, 2022. 

The 5G network is averaging 380 Mbps download speed (which compares favourably with other reported global benchmarks) against the average 4G download speed of 35 Mbps.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023/01/866495/malaysias-5g-coverage-exceeds-2022-target-track-meet-80pct-target-2024-dnb