CYBERJAYA, April 3 — Malaysia will soon be able to enjoy the benefits of 5G mobile technology once the appropriate preparations have been made.

Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief digital officer Gerard Lim said it is possible for Malaysians to start using 5G by 2021 or 2022.

“Implementing 5G will involve multiple stakeholders, including the regulatory side, business cases, spectrum, and infrastructural aspect,” he said during the media briefing for the 5G Malaysia Showcase.

Consulting and interacting with the stakeholders will take several years. Lim said the other thing to prepare for is to shift the Industrial Revolution 4.0 towards 5G, which it enables.

“The point is we need to get ready, and we cannot do this alone. Neither the country nor the government.

“We need to start some of these preparatory work today itself. A lot lies ahead of us in the next few years, as 5G will not appear overnight,” he said.

Lim said the showcase, which takes place from April 18 to 21 at the Putrajaya Corporation Complex in Precinct 3, is to notify ministries, government agencies, industry players and the public that 5G’s potential and innovations are already possible.

However, he stressed that although 5G is important, its primary aim is to strengthen the National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan in ensuring that as many Malaysians as possible will be able to enjoy higher broadband speeds at lower prices.

MCMC chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak said the 5G technology is still in its infancy, at present.

“Some countries have already commercially deployed it for very specific applications.

“As it stands, Malaysia is among the first countries in the Asean region and the Asian continent to launch a test bed and showcase,” he said.

Al-Ishsal said the first two days of the showcase from April 18 to 19 will be for invited guests, ministries and their agencies, as well as industry players.

“The 20th and 21st will be open to the public. It is an opportunity for them to witness technological innovations they may have not heard of before or only know very little of.

“Among the things they can see 5G being applied to include the latest generation of holograms, massive multiplayer gaming, healthcare advancements, drone technology, and even autonomous self-driving vehicles,” he said.