Digital Minister Gobing Singh Deo has revealed that the government is expecting to complete the selection process for the second 5G network by the end of the year. The process will see the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) appointing telecommunication operators for the shift from a single wholesale network to a dual wholesale network model.
The minister said there is currently no set timeline for the shift, but the MCMC is hopeful that progress can be made before the end of 2024. “As far as the agreement concern, the agreement has been signed and it has been completed.Now, it is the second stage which is basically the entire process by which we can actually see decisions taken as to who will actually built the next network.That is currently on going and I hope it can be announced soon and be completed before the end of the year,” he stated.
To recap on what has been going on with the second 5G network, four major telcos have recently completed the share subscription agreement (SSA) to acquire a stake in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), namely CelcomDigi, U Mobile, Maxis, and YTL. The fifth telco, Telekom Malaysia (TM), has until 21 August 2024 to obtain shareholder approval to go ahead with the agreement.
The MCMC began the tender process for identifying and appointing the telcos to develop the second network on 1 July 2024.
(Source: NST)
