With TM’s in depth nationwide fiber footprint — spanning over 740,000 kilometers — U Cell seeks to expedite the rollout of its next-gen 5G community
$568 million deal – Telekom Malaysia will present nationwide fiber, information middle entry, and interconnect companies to assist U Cell’s 5G rollout throughout 10 years.
Goals for 80% protection in 12 months – The partnership leverages TM’s 740,000 km fiber community to speed up U Cell’s deployment of Malaysia’s second 5G community.
TM deal ensures sturdy nationwide assist – TM’s edge services and trunk traces will assist U Cell ship low-latency 5G companies throughout key sectors like healthcare, transport and sensible cities.
Malaysian service U Cell has chosen compatriot operator Telekom Malaysia (TM) as its fiber backhaul associate to speed up the deployment of its 5G community nationwide. The telco mentioned that the 10-year partnership settlement is valued at RM2.4 billion ($568 billion).
Beneath this partnership, TM will present U Cell a complete suite of backhaul infrastructure companies, together with fiber leased line entry to U Cell’s 5G radio entry community (RAN), information middle and TM edge facility leasing for factors of interconnect (POIs), in addition to trunk leased line for inter-regional connectivity.
With TM’s in depth nationwide fiber footprint — spanning greater than 740,000 kilometers —U Cell seeks to expedite the rollout of its next-gen 5G community throughout the Asian nation.
Wong Heang Tuck, CEO of U Cell, mentioned: “Along with TM and different companions, we’re dedicated to reaching 80% protection of populated areas inside 12 months.”
U Cell lately mentioned it should exit from the shareholders’ settlement (SHA) with state-run 5G community Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), divesting its total 100,000 shares within the entity.
The telco mentioned that this transfer is a part of its transition because the nation’s latest 5G community supplier. U Cell assured its clients that their 5G expertise wouldn’t be impacted by their SHA exit, as the corporate will proceed to take care of a 5G wholesale entry settlement with DNB.
The Malaysian service has lately chosen Chinese language distributors Huawei and ZTE as its key know-how companions to construct a brand new 5G community within the nation.
The brand new community will assist superior options like community slicing and 5G-A capabilities from the start. These instruments will assist companies tailor their community utilization based mostly on particular wants, equivalent to for healthcare, transportation and sensible cities, U Cell mentioned.
The corporate additionally plans to enhance indoor protection by growing the variety of indoor 5G websites. Key areas of focus for the rollout embrace transport hubs, medical facilities, sports activities venues, sensible cities and information facilities.
The Asian telco famous that Huawei and ZTE had been chosen by means of a aggressive tender course of launched final yr. Whereas suppliers from numerous areas had been invited, solely the 2 Chinese language companies submitted proposals, it added.
In November 2024, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Fee (MCMC) gave the approval to deploy the second 5G community to U Cell, the third-largest operator within the nation.
At the moment, U Cell mentioned that it’s going to even be working with DNB to make sure the standard of 5G service is maintained.
In Might 2023, Malaysian authorities had mentioned that the nation would shift to a twin 5G community as soon as DNB achieved 80% protection in populated areas, one thing that occurred in December 2023.
The federal government of Malaysia had additionally revoked a earlier ministerial path of 2021, which had designated DNB as the only entity answerable for Malaysia’s 5G deployment.
DNB was arrange by the Malaysian authorities in 2021 as a particular goal car to develop the nation’s 5G community infrastructure, which personal telecommunications companies are at present utilizing to supply 5G companies to their clients. DNB’s 5G community was deployed by Ericsson.
As of as we speak, all operators in Malaysia are providing 5G service in Malaysia through DNB.
CelcomDigi, Maxis, YTL and U Cell at present maintain stakes in DNB, every with a 16.3% share.
