KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — U Mobile Sdn Bhd, Malaysia’s newly appointed second 5G network access provider, is preparing to roll out between 5,000 and 7,000 5G sites across the country.

According to business daily The Edge, this expansion is expected to leverage existing 4G site upgrades along with the construction of new sites, though the official rollout plan is yet to be announced.

Industry analysts predict that U Mobile’s funding strategy will include vendor financing, deferred payments, and debt funding, the report added.

In addition to its infrastructure developments, U Mobile is anticipated to enter network-sharing agreements with other operators to offset its estimated RM3 billion to RM4 billion capital expenditure.

"The sharing of network infrastructure would expedite site deployments, allowing population coverage targets to be met more swiftly,” RHB Research said.

Analysts told The Edge they also believe that collaborations with other mobile network operators will be a logical step to reduce costs.

U Mobile had previously signed memoranda of understanding in July 2024 with infrastructure providers Bullish Aim, OCK Group, EdgePoint Towers, and Naza Communications to facilitate these deployments.

In November 2024, U Mobile was selected by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to implement the second 5G network, following the government’s decision to end the single wholesale 5G model.

The move towards a dual network model is expected to foster competition and accelerate 5G deployment.