Free 5G networks to go live Dec 15 in parts of KL, Putrajaya, and Cyberjaya
Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) announced it would be temporarily offering wholesale 5G services at no cost to all telcos integrated into its network, which has coverage in select areas in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.
DNB technology strategy head Dr Mohamed Sulaiman Suhaibuddeen said the offer would run until March 31, 2022.
This meant that existing telco customers could get 5G access if their devices were compatible with the network, and if the telco chose to enable connectivity with the network.
“End users are encouraged to contact their respective service providers to enquire about 5G availability,” he said.
Live testing done at the media briefing held in Putrajaya showed 5G speeds on all networks could go up to 700-800Mbps for downloads and 100-130Mbps for uploads indoors, and hit even higher speeds outdoors, from 850Mbps to 1Gbps for downloads and 100-150Mbps for uploads.
He clarified this offer would apply to telcos even if they had not yet signed up to conduct 5G trials with the government agency.
On Saturday, Telekom Malaysia (TM) became the only telco to confirm it was running a pilot trial to offer 5G to its Unifi mobile postpaid customers using compatible devices.
Reuters had earlier reported that telcos were reluctant to sign long term deals with DNB, raising concerns over transparency and pricing issues.
During a media briefing today, Mohamed Sulaiman assured that DNB’s wholesale 5G service prices would be “significantly lower cost” than their present cost to produce 4G capacity.
This was in line with Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz statement that DNB will charge telcos less than 20sen per gigabyte (GB) for 5G service, in comparison to the current incremental cost – between 45 and 55sen – per GB of 4G. Read More…
