TM and Digi today have announced that they have agreed to test 5G network sharing in Langkawi throughout the 5G Demonstration Project (5GDP) period which has been referred to some parties in the industry as the Langkawi Trials. According to the joint announcement, the collaboration involves two elements: backhaul and Radio Access Network (RAN).
Specifically, TM has agreed to provide fibre backhaul for Digi’s 5GDP sites in Langkawi. At the moment, Digi has two use cases at the island which include virtual tourism implementation at Langkawi International Airport and real-time medical data transfer for connected ambulance at Hospital Sultanah Maliha.
On another hand, TM and Digi are also looking into the feasibility of 5G RAN sharing in Langkawi. All in all, the cooperation between both companies is pretty much in line with the government’s intention to have the industry players to collaborate with each other as the foundation of the 5G rollout in Malaysia.
In fact, two other giants within the industry, Celcom and Maxis have also previously announced their interest in 5G network sharing. Hence, we expect more collaborations to be revealed by other players as we get closer to the commercial adoption of 5G in Malaysia later this year.
