PUTRAJAYA – Telecommunications companies (telcos) that will provide 5G services in Malaysia have started technical tests related to their implementation, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus.
He said the technical tests comprise five phases in total and they are currently at phase four, while phase five includes aspects of determining the package.
“We see it as a positive development and we will see 5G services offered by the service providers, most probably in September. They have already started to provide (5G) to closed user groups of their subscribers,” he said when commenting on the development of Digital Nasional Bhd’s (DNB) equity stake agreement with the telcos.
He had earlier witnessed the signing of the Digital Society Research Grant (DSRG) collaboration document here today between MCMC, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Board of Technologists, and Malaysian Nuclear Agency in efforts to realise the development of digital talent and empowerment of digital economy.
On July 1, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa was reported to have said that users could expect to enjoy 5G network services in stages by September at the latest, with six companies having signed agreements to take up equities in DNB.
For now, only YTL Communications, through Yes, has provided 5G services to users in Malaysia.
The country’s six main telcos – Maxis, DiGi, Celcom, U Mobile, YTL, and Telekom Malaysia – have agreed to acquire shares in DNB and have been given until tomorrow to agree on the amount to be paid to gain access to the 5G network,
DNB, which is the government’s special purpose company for the roll-out of 5G, had previously announced the availability of the network in certain areas in Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, and Kuala Lumpur.
On the increasing issue of scammers, Ali Hanafiah said MCMC was in discussions with telcos so that they can enhance or introduce defensive mechanisms to prevent calls from scammers.
“It will take time, but they are working on it,” he said, adding that they were working with the banks for the same purpose.
MCMC will also increase advocacy to the general public and recommend that they download apps that can identify caller names to prevent themselves from being deceived. – Bernama, August 30, 2022
