MDEC chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz (left) and GSMA head of APAC Julian Gorman (right).
BARCELONA: Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) to spur the development of 5G application utilising use cases, as well as to accelerate digital economy growth.
The MoU signing was represented by MDEC chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz and GSMA head of Asia Pacific (APAC) Julian Gorman on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2023, here today.
Mahadhir said MDEC and GSMA will also collaborate to drive interest in digital investments, in line with the new national strategic initiative, Malaysia Digital, as well as seek to develop the capability and capacity in Malaysia on 5G to drive digital investments.
"GSMA is and will be an important partner for us as we seek to accelerate the growth of our digital economy.
"With their established credentials as one of the foremost authorities in mobile and digital technology and MDEC’s deep expertise in the digital ecosystem of ASEAN, the leverage and opportunities to be created under this MoU will be of significant value,” he said.
Amongst the sectors that will benefit from the use cases include smart cities, Industry 4.0, education, healthtech, environmental monitoring and social inclusivity.
GSMA, which is a United Kingdom-based organisation, will also commit to highlighting Malaysian case studies and share of contributions in its intelligence reports, including the APAC Mobile Economy Report and Digital Societies report.
Mahadhir added that the MoU will also seek to enhance and drive environmental, social and governance (ESG) programmes towards promoting inclusivity and sustainability of the digital economy in Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Minister of Communications and Digital Fahmi Fadzil said the MoU marked an important milestone for Malaysia, especially at the vital juncture of the 5G roll-out, which is expected to have 80 per cent coverage by the end of 2024.
"The use cases based on 5G technology have an immense potential to drive significant economic growth, improve social outcomes, and help Malaysia achieve its sustainable development goals, aligned to the Malaysia Madani vision,” he said in a statement. - Bernama
