5G demo projects to be carried out across six states

CYBERJAYA: Six states in Malaysia will play host to 5G demonstration projects, which will kick off for a period of six months starting Oct 1.

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Al-Ishsal Ishak (pic) says that eight companies have committed to an investment of RM116mil for the demonstration projects.

A total of 55 use cases will be demonstrated in Kedah, Perak, Penang, Selangor, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur, which covers nine “verticals” – agriculture; digital healthcare; education; entertainment and media; manufacturing and process industries; oil and gas; smart city; smart transportation and tourism.

“The initial investment of RM116mil is put in by the companies, none of it is from the government.

“The 5G demonstration projects will focus on facilitating and cultivating the development of a holistic and inclusive 5G ecosystem in the country, in pursuit of stimulating the demand as well as adoption of 5G technology for both businesses and consumers alike.

“We hope to commercialise some of the use cases beginning third quarter of 2020, ” Al-Ishsal said at a media briefing at MCMC Tower 1 here yesterday.

Some of the use cases that will be tested during the six-month period include smart traffic lights, smart parking, remote medical consultation, smart agriculture, augmented reality for education and vehicle tracking.

The eight companies involved in the demonstration projects are Altel Communications Sdn Bhd, Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi.Com Bhd, edotco Group Sdn Bhd, Maxis Bhd, Petronas, Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and UMobile Sdn Bhd.

Langkawi is set to be a major testbed for the 5G demonstration, with many of the use cases tested on the Kedah island.

TM will be testing 14 use cases, including smart traffic lights solutions, smart parking solutions and smart tourism app in Langkawi’s Cenang beach and Kuah town. TM and Maxis will also be testing out smart agriculture on Langkawi, a smart farming concept that leverages on IoT technology to help increase efficiency and improve the quality of produce.

Altel, meanwhile, will be testing out the autonomous vehicle project on the island as well.

MCMC hopes the use cases will help attract more investments into 5G in Malaysia, including proposals to spread the technology to other states in the country.

“The unwavering support and investment from the participating companies reiterates the industry’s commitment in establishing a strong use for viable 5G applications that will transform various industries as well as impact positively the living standards of Malaysians, ” said Al-Ishsal.