U Mobile has hit another milestone regarding the rollout of Malaysia’s second 5G network. According to U Mobile CEO Wong Heang Tuck, the telco has reached 90% Coverage of Populated Areas (CoPA) as of the end of September 2026.
What’s notable about this achievement is the fact that the company managed to attain it more than nine months ahead of its July 2027 commitment to the government—well ahead of schedule. As a quick refresher, the network’s nationwide rollout officially commenced on 14 July 2025 with the aim of upgrading 6,515 sites to 5G coverage in its first year. Then, in November of the same year, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil disclosed that the telco must hit 80% 5G coverage in populated areas within its first year of operation, and then 95% by the third year.
This latest milestone follows a previous achievement earlier in the year, when the telco attained 80% CoPA in March 2026. Said achievement has earned it recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records for the country’s fastest 5G network rollout.
Wong went on to point out that the significance of these milestones go beyond the speed of the deployment. He emphasised the idea of bringing connectivity to Malaysians, highlighting the accolades it received for its high network speeds. Furthermore, he noted that full coverage is not the end of the telco’s responsibilities. Instead, it will shift its focus to improving network quality and reliability, as well as deepening indoor coverage. As it stands, U Mobile has deployed its ULTRA5G network indoors at more than 250 sites across the country, including but not limited to hospitals and industrial locations.
Speaking on the telco’s achievement, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil echoed Wong’s statements on how this is not the end of the journey, but rather a beginning. The minister asserted that digital infrastructure serves as the fundamental basis for technological progress, and that the next challenge is in getting industries to adopt these available facilities.
