PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is set to have 3,500 sites (equivalent to 36% coverage in populated areas) of 5G wholesale network by the end of the year under Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).

       Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said DNB had also started access of 5G wholesale network with 500 5G sites activated as of Dec 31 last year in Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur.

       In a statement yesterday, Ismail Sabri also said a total of 6.85 million premises nationwide had been provided with access to fibre optic network.

       He noted that 4G coverage in populated areas was at 95% as at Dec 31, under Phase One of the National Digital Network Plan (Jendela).

       “Through Jendela, as many as 1.89 million new premises have fibre optic coverage and a total of 1,189 new 4G towers were built from September 2020 to December 2021,” he said after chairing the first Digital Economy Council and the Fourth National Industrial Revolution (MED4IRN) meeting for the year.

       Through the Small Entrepreneur Digitisation Empowerment Programme (Pupuk), a total of 883 Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) Digital Economy Centres (PEDi) are operating while 28 more will start operation by March 31, throughout Malaysia.

       “This initiative provides collective Internet access as well as entrepreneurship programmes for the local community,” he said.

       Ismail Sabri added that the meeting also concluded to increase the usage of robotic technology under the National Robotics Roadmap.The density of robots in Malaysia for every 10,000 workers in 2019 is 55 units and the target is 195 units for every 10,000 workers by 2030.

       The council will support the concept of Catalytic Projects to spur MyDIGITAL Aspirations, with the establishment of the MyDIGITAL Catalyst Project Task Force to select appropriate project and monitor the implementation between the public and private sectors (public-private partnership).

       In conjunction with the first anniversary of the Malaysian Digital Economy Blueprint (RTEDM) and MyDIGITAL on Feb 19, several programmes have been and will be implemented throughout this month and March, including the Technopreneur Industry Dialogue, series of dialogues organised by the World Bank and MyDIGITAL Corporation, Digital Transformation Market of Siti Khadijah in Kota Baru, Kelantan, roundtable Discussion on Islamic Digital Technology and Civil Servants Digital Literacy Programme.