KUALA LUMPUR: Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd are the first companies to join Digital Nasional Bhd’s (DNB) 5G network.

       In a press statement, DNB said they had been integrated into the network and this would allow both companies to grant 5G services to their customers.

       “TM – on behalf of Unifi Mobile, and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, on behalf of Yes – will be the first two operators in the country to provide 5G access to their respective customers within their respective coverage areas.

       “5G was available in certain parts of Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur as of yesterday.

       “We are pleased to welcome both TM and YTL Communications as our very first customers of the 5G network in Malaysia.

       “TM is the country’s oldest telecommunications provider, having introduced telecommunications services nearly 40 years ago in 1984, while YTL Communications is the youngest and the only all-4G network provider in Malaysia,” said DNB chief executive officer Ralph Marshall.

       “Together, they have almost 4.5 million subscribers and an average monthly data demand of 40GB to 50GB per subscriber.

       “End users with 5G-compatible devices will be able to enjoy an average speed of 100Mbps. This means a user at the weakest point of 5G coverage will on average receive 100Mbps on a 5G-compatible device.”

       DNB also said it would provide wholesale 5G services to mobile network operators (MNOs) at a significantly lower cost than their present cost to produce 4G capacity.

       “MNOs should therefore be able to offer lower prices to their customers for mobile services, which will include 5G,” DNB said.

       “We are excited to be the first in Malaysia to bring 5G to the rakyat through our first-to-market 5G plans. The availability of 5G, supported by DNB’s robust ecosystem, will accelerate nationwide coverage and adoption of 5G.

       “YTL Communications is committed to bringing a connected tomorrow to reality for all Malaysians,” YTL Communications’ chief executive officer Wing K. Lee said.

       “The good news for the consumer is that you’re going to get higher speeds at lower prices,” YTL Communications managing director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong said at the press conference yesterday.

       Meanwhile, DNB also said that it had not stopped its talks with the other MNOs with regards to their uptake of 5G services.