Malaysia is set to embark on its first national-level 5G trials this coming November. Set to run in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, the trial is to see how well is the new technology in delivering the promised high-speed connectivity over the air.
The two locations were chosen as the two cities are fiber-ready and infrastructure needed to set up the 5G network is already in place. According to Gobind Singh Deo, The Minister of Communications and Multimedia, multiple parties will be involved in the test, including telcos, researchers, governmental bodies and other related parties.
5G differs from 4G as it uses shorter radio waves to deliver higher speeds over the air. A drawback of the shorter waves is that it will have some problems penetrating structures. Testing building penetration is one of the key points of the upcoming 5G trials in the two chosen locations.
The test will commence from 1 November for one year. The result of the test should help the government in planning 5G deployment in Malaysia. As of now, we do not know when commercial deployment will commence – we may see it happen after 2020 or later.
(Source: Bernama)
