Trailing regional rivals in the race to offer 5G mobile services, Malaysia is finally pressing ahead with a plan to roll out the high-speed network across the country even as local carriers wrangle over equity participation in the project.
State-owned Digital Nasional Bhd, which is building the infrastructure at a cost of RM16bil (US$3.7bil) spread over 10 years, has offered all nine telecommunication companies in the South-East Asian country equal stakes totalling as much as 70% by June 30. But the top four carriers have been pushing for a combined 51% majority stake to themselves instead.