Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) has granted 5G spectrum to Telekom Malaysia (TM), Celcom Axiata, Maxis, DiGi and Altel. The five operators received 5G spectrum in frequency bands between 703MHz and 743MHz, as well as 758MHz and 798MHz.
TM received spectrum in the 718Mhz to 723Mhz band, coupled with the 773Mhz to 778 MHz band. Maxis Broadband, a unit of Maxis, was awarded the 733MHz to 743Mhz range, as well as the 758Mhz to 768Mhz range, while Digi Telecommunications secured the 703MHz to 713MHz and 758Mhz to 768Mhz spectrum ranges.
Axiata Group’s unit Celcom received the 723MHz-733MHz range, as well as the 778MHz and 788MHz spectrum range, and Altel Communications was granted the 713MHz-718Mhz, and 768MHz-773MHz ranges.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) earlier said that the 700MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26/28GHz would initially be used for the implementation of 5G networks in Malaysia. In particular, 700MHz and 3.5Ghz frequencies would be awarded on a tender process, in an attempt to reduce capex costs and prevent the duplication of infrastructure once 4G LTE network upgrades are implemented.
Malaysia to commercially launch 5G services in Q3
Back in January, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad announced that the country is on track to commercially launch 5G services in the third quarter of this year. The statement was made at the ceremony marking the start of the implementation of 5G Demonstration Projects (5GDP). The 5GDP project is led by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The MCMC released in January its Final Report on the allocation of spectrum for mobile broadband services and 5G. The 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26/28 GHz bands will be used for the initial deployment of 5G. The use of the 2,300 MHz and 2,600 MHz bands will be maintained per existing allocations until December 2021, for the maintenance of 4G, and a review of these bands will take place in 2021.
