The MCMC, Malaysia has decided to delay the roll-out of 5G to late 2022 or early 2023. Initially, the country had plans to release 5G in the third quarter of 2020. However, the government decided to instead focus on the current 4G network. According to the ministry, it is not useful to roll out the new networks when the current 4G network is still not widely available in rural areas. Besides, there are also issues related to adoption, regulation and cost to consumers. In addition, about 70 per cent of the users of 5G will be from industries whereas only 30 per cent of consumers will adopt it. Under a new plan called Jendela, the ministry aims to increase 4G coverage from 91.8 per cent at present to 96.9 per cent in the first phase. Meanwhile, it will increase fixed broadband speeds from 25 Mbps to 35 Mbps while increasing gigabit connectivity to 7.5 million people. Jendela will also focus on building network towers in rural areas, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
