[ UPDATE 16/01/2022 10:30 ] TM has issued a statement clarifying that it has no actual date for 5G user trials. They have removed the February 2022 date for 5G on its Unifi Mobile page.
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It has been a month since Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) announced the commercial availability of its 5G network. Telekom Malaysia (TM) which is one of the two telcos to take up DNB’s free 5G access offer will only start offering 5G services to its Unifi Mobile users beginning in February.
Last month, TM was the first telco to announce its participation in DNB’s 5G user trial and 5G access will be offered to Unifi Postpaid customers. On 15th December 2021, YTL Communications via Yes have beaten them to the punch by being the first in the country to offer 5G services with both postpaid and prepaid options.
We haven’t heard anything from TM since then but there’s now an indication of its 5G offering on their website.
According to the Unifi Mobile page, customers who subscribe to their postpaid plan can enjoy 5G data in February 2022. TM hasn’t shared much details about the 5G data offering including data quota, the exact date of availability, and whether existing users would need to change their SIM cards. There are no extra terms and conditions, or Fair Use Policy for 5G on their website at the time of writing.
From the looks of it, customers even on the lowest RM19/month Unifi Mobile Postpaid plan will be able to enjoy 5G data. So far there’s no mention if the 5G usage will utilise the existing quota or if it’s unlimited like Yes 5G. For prepaid Unifi Mobile users, you’re out of luck as there’s no mention of 5G for now.
It is worth pointing out that the free 5G access offer from DNB to telcos will expire on the 31st of March 2022. If Unifi Mobile enables 5G access on 1st February, that means you’ll have two months to enjoy it for free. There’s still no word on what would happen after the 31st of March 2022 as no telcos have signed the commercial wholesale agreement with DNB at the moment. Even if TM starts to offer 5G via Unifi Mobile 5G, it is worth noting that Samsung and iPhone models are not supported yet. DNB’s 5G network is currently compatible mostly with Chinese devices such as Xiaomi, Redmi, Oppo, Poco, Realme, Vivo, Huawei, Honor and ZTE.
In December, Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the government is reconsidering DNB’s single wholesale network model following criticism by the industry. There’s a possibility that the government may allow telcos to roll out a separate 5G network to compete with DNB. In the first phase of the 5G rollout, DNB’s network currently covers selected areas in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. Since it is a new network, coverage is still patchy and you can learn more about the experience in our first impressions.
If you want to experience the 5G network for free, Yes is now offering free 5G SIM cards and they will deliver the sim pack directly to your doorstep. The free SIM comes with unlimited 5G data and 10GB 4G data for a month.
Thanks @aniq8676 for the tip!
