KUALA LUMPUR – The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) has come to the defence of Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), saying there is a possibility private telecommunications companies may ignore low-density residential areas or areas where they lack customers in the 5G rollout.
Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Mersing-Bersatu) told the Dewan Rakyat during Question Time today that it is natural for telcos to focus their 5G investments on locations that can serve the majority of their customers better, seeing that they are profit-driven and must answer to their shareholders.
“DNB is a special purpose government vehicle focusing more on public benefit when it comes to 5G development. Telcos have their own private interests because as listed companies, Axiata and Maxis, for example, must comply with what their shareholders want.
“If we want to give them the 5G development, they won’t give this facility to areas where they don’t have a lot of clients. This is where my friend from the Communications and Multimedia Ministry must fill up the vacuum,” said the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
He had also denied claims made by Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun-Pejuang) that the DNB’s 60% Bumiputera quota is a tool to distract the public from the plan that 5G development was supposed to be privately driven under Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP).
Latiff reiterated the government’s figures that under DNB’s 5G development, it shows that Malaysia will see around 500,000 new jobs being created and around RM70 billion in foreign investments once the 5G network is up and running.
After its announcement, DNB had been criticised by various parties questioning why a new special purpose vehicle is needed for 5G development when PH had already set up the NFCP’ consortium programme where Malaysia’s major telcos will develop the new communications network.
However, after PH’s collapse and Perikatan Nasional took over, the NFCP is seen as being in limbo, and Putrajaya felt that DNB was an answer to the problem. – The Vibes, November 3, 2021
