Bids for 700MHz, 3.5GHz spectrum bands open in April - MCMC

LANGKAWI (Bernama): Bids for the 700MHz and 3.5GHz spectrum bands for the roll-out of 5G will open in April, says the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak told Bernama that companies may send their bids for the 26 GHz and 28 GHz millimetre wave bands in April.

"We will give the millimetre wave bands to non-licensees (non-telcos), for instance factories that need 5G.

"They need not call telecommunications companies, they can use the millimetre wave networks,” he said.

The ​​​​​​​millimetre wave networks are suitable for use up to 200-300 metres, enabling industry players to raise their productivity.

"They do not provide services to the people, and like with walkie-talkies, to use you need permission from the MCMC,” he said.

The MCMC will allocate the 700MHz and 3.5Ghz spectrum bands to a consortium comprising multiple licensees, but not to individual licensees.