U Mobile has appointed Telekom Malaysia (TM) as its principal fibre backhaul partner in a decade-long deal worth RM2.4 billion, aimed at accelerating the nationwide deployment of its 5G network. The agreement was signed at a ceremony earlier today, attended by Minister of Communications Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Under the terms of the partnership, TM will provide U Mobile with a full suite of backhaul services. These include fibre leased line access for U Mobile’s 5G Radio Access Network (RAN), leasing of data centre and TM Edge facilities for Points of Interconnect (POIs), and trunk leased lines for inter-regional data transmission. The collaboration leverages TM’s vast fibre network, which covers over 740,000 kilometres and represents the most extensive backhaul infrastructure in the country.
With this partnership, U Mobile says it aims to expedite its 5G rollout nationwide, including a target of achieving 80% population coverage within the next year. The collaboration is expected to enhance both consumer and enterprise connectivity, providing the capacity, speed, and reliability necessary for high-performance 5G services.
Executives from both companies have positioned the partnership as a critical enabler of Malaysia’s digital advancement. U Mobile CEO Wong Heang Tuck highlighted TM’s extensive reach as instrumental to their rollout ambitions, while TM Group CEO Amar Huzaimi Md Deris underscored the importance of robust backhaul infrastructure in supporting a high-quality 5G ecosystem.
