This is what the future will look like with 5G in Malaysia. Find out what it means for you.

This post is brought to you by Celcom.

Malaysia’s efforts for a commercial rollout of 5G during Q3 of 2020 appear to be firmly on track, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission recently announcing that it is now officially a member of the 5G GSMA Asia Pacific (GSMA APAC) Forum. But even as we draw nearer to a reality where 5G connectivity is readily available, the average person on the street may not have a complete understanding of what 5G can actually bring to the table. 

On the consumer-end of things, 5G will essentially change the entire way you do things—be it personal or professional matters. Besides faster downloads and uploads, the increased speeds available with 5G will supplement a plethora of advanced technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence. Most of us think of a 5G upgrade as a raw speed upgrade, when in reality, 5G is a game-changer when it comes to different industries such as self-driving cars, drones, and IoT applications.

These benefits are also applicable to businesses. In the fast-paced professional world that we live in today, connectivity is key—devices such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, or IoT products are all interconnected, and latency is very much crucial here. Latency, for the uninitiated, can be explained as the delay before a transfer of data happens, which can be critical for various internet dependent technologies. In essence, this means that various industries in Malaysia will benefit from the implementation of 5G, including agriculture, education, security, and even the transportation sector. 

Think of it this way. Most of the devices we use on a daily basis depend on an active internet connection. But with more and more Smart Devices being developed, IoT devices are arguably the future. Everyday household items like lights, switches, fridges, or even vacuum cleaners can now be accessed remotely—and with such a vast number of these devices, your connectivity solution will need to have the necessary capacity. Enter: 5G. 

Recognising this, Celcom was the first to bite the bullet when they signed an agreement with Ericsson in 2017 to upgrade their network infrastructure to be 5G-ready. And to better understand the effect that 5G connectivity can bring Malaysian businesses and consumers, Celcom also organised a series of use cases to showcase the enhancements brought about by 5G. Let’s have a look: 

The 5G future of Langkawi

Celcom has equipped Langkawi with a 5G demonstration [FBY1] in order to advance the society, with benefits including enhanced safety and security. The updated infrastructure allows for better efficiency for management processes, while the island and the city’s surveillance and security also benefited from “Smart Tourism”. 

This includes 360 UHD 4K panoramic live video surveillance cameras, which allow for real-time monitoring with artificial intelligence and video analytics. Port Smart Management systems also help to enable the monitoring of Smart Port Management systems to create “smarter ports” in the future—this, according to Celcom, will help to create a safer and better managed space for Langkawi’s residents, along with tourists that regularly visit the holiday island. 

Petaling Jaya: 5G Live Cluster Field Trial

Meanwhile, Celcom also has a use case set up at Petaling Jaya, one of the key sites for 5G deployment. According to the folks over at the telco, this 5G Live Cluster Field Trial will give providers an understanding of the impact of 5G connectivity in changing the way the daily life of the average Malaysian will change. 

This impact is demonstrated in PJ via a number of different showcases—5G surveillance cameras that have facial recognition technology to offer better security and surveillance. Additionally, Celcom’s Traffic Violation Detection systems have also been showcased, with the aim of reducing road congestion and to further monitor traffic.

5G Innovation Centre

Celcom is also collaborating with University Technology Malaysia (UTM) to further aid research and development of 5G, with the target of realising the potential that 5G connectivity can bring to the next generation of learners. 

UTM is the first university in Malaysia to have access to such tech, and the collaboration will see demonstrations of 5G innovations, a 5G research lab, and a 5G learning space—to help both students and professionals. 

Readying ourselves for the future

The reality is that 5G is set to change our work processes, our personal time, and our lives as a whole, forever. And with a commercial roll-out for 5G expected in 2020, individuals and businesses alike will soon experience a new way of doing things. And with the continuing development of promising use cases such as the above, Celcom have been pulling out the stops to prepare themselves for the next generation of connectivity.

There’s huge potential with 5G, without a shadow of a doubt. Are you ready? 

To find out more, you can head over to Celcom’s official website here.