Our four major telecom providers, Celcom, Digi, Maxis, and U Mobile, have jointly expressed their willingness to launch 5G network supply services in Malaysia through the establishment of Dual Wholesale Networks (DWN)! In response to this proposal, the Minister of Multimedia and Communications, Tan Sri Anuar Musa, said that the issue of DNB and suppliers would be brought to the Cabinet for discussion.
However, the four major telecommunications providers did not explain in the press conference how the 5G network will be deployed, and said that the operational model and details of the dual-supplier mechanism have been presented to the cabinet in a memorandum. However, it was stated in the press conference that after the establishment of the dual-supplier mechanism, the 5G network will be led by the government-established National Digital Corporation and by the four private telecommunications providers, respectively.
Telecom providers also said that a dual-supplier approach would be healthier than a single-supplier approach. This is because, under the dual-supplier mechanism, each telecom company can find a talent for 5G infrastructure and also use existing infrastructure to expand the scope and support of 5G. It is worth mentioning that this is not the first time that a telecom provider has proposed a dual-supplier mechanism.
Currently, only YES, a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia, and unifi Mobile, a subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia, support the 5G network services deployed by Digital Nasional. The other four major providers have not yet entered into cooperation agreements with Digital Nasional .
