PUTRAJAYA: The government has decided to stick with the single wholesale network (SWN) for the roll out of super high speed 5G nationwide, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said.
In terms of ownership, Tengku Zafrul said Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) would be owned by both the government and mobile network operators (MNOs) which were committed to the access agreement under the SWN model.
The government will be holding a 30 per cent stake in DNB while the rest will be shared by MNOs.
"Maintaining the SWN model reflects government's firm stance on the continuity of
"It also symbolises Malaysia's strong public-private partnership model, as well as a robust private sector financing ecosystem, all of which will boost investors' confidence in Malaysia," Tengku Zafrul told reporters during a press conference here today.
He added that DNB was projected to keep the current wholesale price of 5G at less than 20 sen per gigabyte.
"This is expected to make the cost of 5G more affordable, encourage consumption among consumers and enterprises, as well as reduce the cost of living and the cost of doing business in Malaysia," he added.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said at 20 sen per gigabyte (GB), the government targeted that the cost for 5G would be cheaper than the current 4G network.
In December 2021, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) estimated that the total cost of the country's 5G coverage inclusive of network hardware and infrastructure at RM12.5 billion.
"The rakyat should be able to enjoy access to high quality 5G services fairly, equitably and at an affordable price, especially to help accelerate Malaysia's post-pandemic economic recovery in the years to come.
"The SWN model will help bridge the urban-rural 'digital divide' and enable all Malaysians to enjoy high quality 5G services and be widely available to them through telecommunication companies," Annuar said.
The government had set a target of 80 per cent population coverage within the three years of the rollout of 5G network, he added.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2022/03/780610/5g-government-decides-stick-single-wholesale-network