Maxis agrees to utilise national 5G network despite coverage issues

Malaysian telecommunications company, Maxis, has agreed to utilise the 5G network currently in operation by Digital Nasional, a government-owned company, despite coverage issues according to The Star.

Maxis CEO Goh Siew Eng reportedly noted that Maxis will sign the 5G access agreement but that it must work closely with the relevant authorities to mitigate the coverage issues.

As DNB is currently the sole operator of Malaysia’s 5G network, the agreement will give Maxis access to DNB’s reach to populated areas in Malaysia. Maxis is also the last major telecommunications firm to sign the agreement.  

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This news comes shortly after Maxis released a statement in May indicating interest in supporting the government’s focus on achieving 80% 5G coverage of populated areas (CoPA) by the end of 2023 under DNB.

Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital also announced future plans to add a second 5G network to complement the existing one.

“Maxis is committed to working closely with the industry to accelerate 5G for the nation in line with the Government’s digital ambitions,” said the company in May last month.

It continued by emphasising the economic benefits of an efficient and affordable adoption of 5G-related products to all Malaysians as well as its aim to play a more direct role in the country’s 5G implementation by leveraging its expertise, resources and existing infrastructure.

5G coverage remains a pertinent issue in Malaysia after Digital Nasional (DNB) was in the hot seat for its 5G coverage claim that received public scepticism online as well as from communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil earlier this year. 

Fahmi took to his Twitter account at in January to call out DNB on its claims after a disgruntled netizen expressed his frustration with a tweet regarding the slow data connection he was facing. 

Notable executives, such as the former managing editor of news and current affairs Datuk Seri Mohd Ashraf Abdullah of Media Prima Bhd's Television Networks group also tweeted, “" I live in Denai Alam, Shah Alam, the capital of Selangor. I hardly get three bars on my 4G network. Now DNB says it has achieved 50 per cent 5G coverage. Can DNB release the list of areas which it claims have 5G coverage so we can check it out?" and tagged Fahmi Fadzil. These were a few among a slew of other tweets that showed the disappointed netizens were facing against DNB.

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