Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said 5G will not be deployed in Malaysia until it has met the required safety standards.
“I would like to assure the Malaysian public that the government will not compromise in this aspect and the new 5G technology will only be deployed after it is certified to have complied with all the necessary safety standards,” he said.
Gobind added that the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commision (MCMC) has issued a Mandatory Standard on Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Emissions From Radio Communications Infrastructure for various industries.
“All industry players are required to conduct and report field measurements in order to ensure that all companies comply with the safety limits specified,” he said.
The Medical Radiation Surveillance Division of the Health Ministry will also keep the public informed with the latest research, including international ones, on 5G and health.
The division will also take part in field measurements to assess the level of radiation at 5G testing sites.
The national 5G testbed areas have been expanded beyond Selangor and Kuala Lumpur to include Terengganu, Perak and Kedah.
Gobind also urged service providers to work together to bring 5G to Malaysians.
"As regards to cost considerations, I urge service providers to consider sharing infrastructure, especially future 5G networks.
"This will avoid duplication, and correspondingly conserve scarce financial resources of the country, which will lead to huge savings.
“Savings gained should be invested in applications and education, for the betterment of our children’s future," he said at the National 5G Task Force mid-term presentation in Cyberjaya today.
The 5G National Task Force has outlined a comprehensive plan to deploy 5G in Malaysia through four working groups — Business Case Working, Spectrum Management and Allocation, Infrastructure, and Regulatory.
Gobind said a total of 66 5G uses cases has been identified by both the government and private sector, and RM50mil has been invested by the industry so far.
The use cases include smart city applications (including parking), security, traffic light management and virtual reality for education.
The National 5G Task Force is expected to present the final report later this year.
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