Malaysian PM says country on track to commercially roll-out 5G in July

MALAYSIA has made a fair bit of progress with 5G trials in recent months because it understands that the up and coming technology can provide new capabilities to the country’s businesses and its people and enable solutions that are built on the internet of things (IoT) and commercial drones, among other things.

In line with its ambitions, regulators in the country, in partnership with telecom giants, have been working on use cases involving 5G — a project which seems to have found much success.

At a recent 5G-powered demonstration in Langkawi, Malaysia, the country’s Prime Minister (PM) Mahathir Mohamad said that the country is on track to commercially roll-out 5G in the third quarter of 2020 (July to September).

According to PM Mohamad, 5G will help strengthen Malaysia’s economy and ensure that sustainable growth is within reach for everyone in the country.

“The convergence of 5G and different industrial sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, smart transportation, and tourism, presents new opportunities for industries, society, and individuals to advance their digital ambitions, and deliver new and better services,” PM Mohamad told state media.

In order to truly embrace 5G, the Malaysian PM said that businesses will need to be agile and quickly adapt to change.

“[…] We risk being left behind if we do not change,” said PM Mohamad.

What’s interesting is that the country seems to be clear that 5G will be key to accelerating the move to the fourth industrial revolution.

Regulators in the country, as a result, believe with a commercial 5G roll-out will serve as the infrastructure that supports new-age enterprises and public innovations.

“[…] We are at a tipping point from where we can either rise or falter. (But) it is what we continue to strive towards individually and collectively every day to outperform and push boundaries, that will allow us to stay resilient and stride forward confidently.

PM Mohamad — given the fact that the regulators, telcos, and businesses have already come up with 100 5G use cases and trialing 72 of those — believes that the collaboration will help fast-track the nation and enable it to leverage opportunities created by the fourth industrial revolution.

“The willingness of organizations to open doors to others and share best practices will expedite the adoption of the fourth industrial revolution and unlock the benefits that manufacturers can create.”

Given the message from the country’s regulators and the efforts on the ground, 5G is bound to make a big impact on enterprises in Malaysia. The impact will be magnified, of course, if small and mid-sized enterprises are encouraged to leverage 5G with just as much vigor as larger enterprises.

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