Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says that the issues revolving around the state-owned 5G operator, Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), would be resolved by the next week. “DNB will hold a meeting next week to decide on the issue”, the PM said in response to a question posed during the PKR’s 25th anniversary special convention.
The statement comes after a report published by Channel News Asia (CNA) last week, which detailed a breakdown in communications over the 5G rollout plan in the country. The report points out that four months after the signing of the Shared Subscription Agreement (SSA) by the involved telcos and DNB, neither side has even agreed upon the condition precedents (CP), which include which directors that will represent the telcos, will sit on the board, as well as the execution of three confidential audits of the company by external experts. Among other things.
Since the report, DNB has issued a statement, denying the allegations that it lacked clarity in its internal operations, particularly over how it awarded the contract to develop the country’s 5G infrastructure to Ericsson at nearly RM5 billion, along with arrangements with other parties for software procurement.
There is also the issue over the establishment of a second 5G network, which DNB promised after it reached 80% saturation, and whether or not it is feasible. One telco, Maxis, has come out with its own statement, saying that it is prepared to build a second 5G network. “Maxis is always supportive of competition and is fully aligned with the Government’s decision on the 5G delivery model. We are ready to build another 5G network and have recently showcased the capabilities of a 5G-Advanced (5.5G) network supported by Malaysia’s Ministry of Communications and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.”
(Source: Malay Mail, Bernama)
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