PUTRAJAYA, Aug 30 — Telecommunications companies (telcos) that will provide fifth-generation (5G) services in Malaysia have started technical tests related to their implementation, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief operating officer Datuk Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus.

He said the technical tests comprised five phases in total and they are currently at phase four, while phase five includes aspects of determining the package.

“We see it as a positive development and most probably in September we will see 5G services offered by the service providers. They have already started to provide (5G) to closed user groups of their subscribers,” he said when commenting on the development of Digital Nasional Bhd's (DNB) equity stake agreement with the telcos.

He had earlier witnessed the signing of the Digital Society Research Grant (DSRG) collaboration document here today between the MCMC, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Board of Technologists and Malaysian Nuclear Agency in efforts to realise the development of digital talent and empowerment of digital economy.

On July 1, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa was reported to have said that users could expect to enjoy 5G network services in stages by September at the latest, with six companies having signed agreements to take up equities in DNB.

For now, only YTL Communications, through Yes, has provided 5G services to users in Malaysia.

The country’s six main telcos — Maxis, DiGi, Celcom, U Mobile, YTL and Telekom Malaysia — have agreed to acquire shares in DNB and have been given until tomorrow (Aug 31) to agree on the amount to be paid to gain access to the 5G network, The DNB, which is the government's special purpose company for the rollout of 5G, had previously announced the availability of the network in certain areas in Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur.

On the issue of scammers that is becoming more widespread, Mohd Ali Hanafiah said the MCMC was in discussions with telcos so that they can enhance or introduce defensive mechanisms to prevent calls from scammers.

‘It will take time, but they are working on it,” he said, in addition to working with the banks for the same purpose.

The MCMC will also increase advocacy to the general public and recommend that they download applications that can identify caller names to prevent themselves from being deceived. — Bernama