PUTRAJAYA, Feb 22 — The rollout of the fifth-generation (5G) network must be done accordingly to avoid losing potential investors, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
He said the 5G rollout needed to be done within three years with at least 80 per cent of the populated areas being covered with the network.
“If they (the investors) wish to come to Malaysia, they will ask whether this country has 5G facility or not and if there is, they will come.
“If we say there will be in five years’ time, they (potential investors) will go somewhere else… so you will lose potential investors. That is something crucial for the well-being of the country and rakyat (people),” he told reporters after launching the Hari Keselamatan Internet 2022 – Edisi Malaysia (Internet Safety Day 2022 – Malaysia Edition), here, today.
Annuar said he would do the necessary to resolve related problems to ensure the rollout of 5G would be done accordingly.
“Whatever problem that comes along, I will make sure the things will be resolved.
“Please remember, when we launched 4G, it took eight years to achieve 80 per cent… we can’t roll out our 5G with the same speed,” he said.
On Friday (Feb 18), Annuar said the Communications and Multimedia Ministry and Finance Ministry (MOF) would table a Cabinet Ministers’ memorandum next month to resolve the issues related to Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) “once and for all”.
He said the position of DNB and the Single Wholesale Network or Dual Wholesale Network system which has become a debate and polemic should be resolved soon.
DNB, the government’s special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the 5G rollout, had previously announced the availability of the network in certain parts of Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur beginning Dec 15, 2021.
DNB is committed to an accelerated schedule to roll out the 5G coverage to 80 per cent of the population by 2024.
