Malaysia awards 5G spectrum to key domestic telecoms firms

[KUALA LUMPUR] Malaysia has awarded 5G telecommunications spectrum to major domestic telecoms players as well as a private firm, the communications and multimedia ministry said.

The 700 MHz 5G spectrum went to local units of Axiata Group, Digi.Com and Maxis, as well as Telekom Malaysia and private firm Altel Communications the ministry said in a notice dated May 15.

It told the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to immediately allocate the spectrum to the companies, according to a statement posted on the commission's website.

"The Commission will take immediate steps...to implement the spectrum allocation to the licence holders," it added.

At the start of this year, MCMC said the award of the 5G spectrum band was being considered to a consortium of multiple licensees, rather than individual ones.

It had said it would undertake a tender process intended to cut costs and avoid infrastructure duplication amid improvements to 4G networks.

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MCMC had identified the 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26/28 GHz as the pioneer spectrum bands for the 5G roll-out in Malaysia.

REUTERS