KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 — Proton has appointed Maxis as its partner to deploy a 5G use case comprising multiple converged solutions to power up its plant in Tanjung Malim plant, Perak.

The national car maker announced the partnership today, saying it is part of the company’s growth strategy in developing Proton City as a model smart city through state-of-the-art tools and systems, as well as Maxis’ commitment to delivering the best 5G innovation and solutions for enterprises.

The network installations began last month.

"As the nation’s premier automotive brand, Proton continues to look into emerging technologies that fit our tagline of Inspiring Connections to advance our expertise and deliver value to our customers,” the carmaker’s chief executive officer Li Chunrong said in a statement.

"Through this strategic partnership with Maxis, we look forward to unlocking opportunities that can translate into enhanced security, a safer environment, improved efficiencies, and ultimately, build better quality cars,” he added.

Gokhan hailed the partnership with Proton as testament to Maxis' role in fostering a digital ecosystem for industries through innovation. — Picture courtesy of Maxis

Maxis said it is proud to be selected as a technology partner to provide this important 5G use case for the nation’s automotive industry.

"This partnership with Proton for proof of concept is testament to our key role that we have been playing in fostering a digital ecosystem for industries through innovation,” the telecommunications company’s CEO Gokhan Ogut said in the same statement announcing the partnership.

"As Malaysia’s leading converged solutions provider, Maxis is committed to offering the best 5G innovation through our expertise and resources, to enable the nation to Always Be Ahead in this changing world.”

Tech and business analysts said 5G technology has the potential to revolutionise the automotive industry and transform the transportation sector.

Proton said the journey towards creating a smart Proton City will eventually fulfill the carmaker’s vision of building its Smart Manufacturing Campus through the promise of high-speed data transfer and low latency.

The 5G network, said to be capable of powering artificial intelligence, is expected to deliver better mobility, reliability and seamless connectivity for on-campus public and private communications, the company said.