DNB willing to work with others in 5G rollout, says MCMC

PETALING JAYA: Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) will welcome other parties that want to be involved in the nation’s 5G network rollout, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said.

It said mobile network operators could work together in the rollout.

“There is nothing stopping mobile network operators (MNOs) from working together with DNB to provide specific needs,” MCMC’s 5G delivery office department head Wan Khairil Reza said.

Speaking at a webinar, he said network operators would still be independent, but their 5G services would go through the Single Wholesale Network (SWN) model under DNB.

The SWN model has faced major backlash from industry players and opposition MPs, who brought up the issue of monopoly in Parliament.

Communications and multimedia minister Annuar Musa said the government would reconsider its decision on the SWN model for the 5G network rollout after telecommunication companies and industry stakeholders had balked over it.

However, as of now, DNB will continue with its plan to deliver 5G services via the SWN, he said.

DNB, which is owned by the finance ministry, has been mandated by Putrajaya to be the single party undertaking the deployment of 5G infrastructure and network throughout Malaysia. — Free Malaysia Today