Telekom Malaysia has agreed to conduct 5G trials with state-run Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), although it has not confirmed whether it has signed a long-term agreement on the usage of the government’s 5G wholesale network, Reuters reports. The operator will participate in the pilot trials in some parts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, and two other urban centres. According to the report, DNB said talks with telecom firms to settle commercial terms were yet to start and long-term agreements were expected to be signed in early 2022.
As previously reported by CommsUpdate, in July 2021 DNB selected Ericsson for the end-to-end development of its 5G infrastructure, and the wholesale operator is now aiming to switch on its 5G network in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya in December 2021 as part of an initial launch phase. Looking ahead, DNB expects to achieve 40% coverage ‘in populated areas’ by the end of 2022, with its infrastructure to subsequently be extended to cover other urban and rural areas and industrial parks, with a target of approximately 80% population coverage by end of 2024.