KUALA LUMPUR (CNA) – Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is warming up to the prospect of opening Malaysia’s doors to other technology partners, breaking the current monopoly held by Swedish information and technology firm Ericsson.
The dismantling of the current 5G monopoly held by state-owned Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will be at the top of the agenda when officials from the Finance Ministry, a portfolio Anwar helms, and the Digital and Communications Ministry hold talks soon on how to proceed with the country’s most important technology upgrade that is expected to cost more than RM16.5 billion (USD3.74 billion) over the next 10 years, senior government officials close to the situation told CNA.
The Cabinet is expected to make a final decision on the matter this month and close aides to the prime minister said that Anwar is open to the idea of other technology players participating in the 5G rollout.
According to the aides familiar with the Cabinet discussions, the government has received complaints from the country’s mobile telecommunication operators that their views were not sought when the previous government under Muhyiddin Yassin pushed ahead with the incorporation of DNB to lead the implementation of the 5G infrastructure in March 2021.
“They (the private mobile operators) have made representations and there is a strong possibility, more than a 50 per cent chance, of opening up the field,” said a Finance Ministry official who is familiar with ongoing discussions on the 5G review.
