[ UPDATE ] U Mobile says 5G has landed. Is this Malaysia’s second 5G telco?

[ UPDATE 25/05/2022 12:08 ] The U Mobile 5G page was published by mistake and they currently do not offer 5G to consumers just yet. U Mobile says, “The page features an old visual and not meant for public viewing but due to a technical system glitch, it went live.”

Looking at the current situation, U Mobile along with other major telcos are still negotiating with DNB for 5G wholesale access.

[ UPDATE 25/05/2022 10:00 ] U Mobile has taken down its 5G for U page. We are still waiting for an official response from the telco.

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While Malaysia’s 5G stalemate has yet to be resolved, U Mobile has put up a page that seems to suggest that 5G is now available on their network. Under the “Why U Mobile” section of their website, there’s a 5G for U page that proclaims 5G has landed, experience Turbo speeds at Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and Kuala Lumpur.

Based on the named locations, it appears that U Mobile is now offering 5G via Digital Nasional Berhad’s (DNB)‘s single wholesale network. The page has also listed out compatible 5G devices available on contract but all of their postpaid and prepaid plans are still showing “5G-ready”.

U Mobile even has a coverage map with toggles to show 4G, 3G and “Future Coverage”. So far, there are no coverage plots to indicate 5G sites at the moment.

This discovery comes as a surprise as only YTL Communications (Yes 5G) and Telekom Malaysia (TM) have reportedly agreed to use DNB for 5G access and take equity in DNB. It still isn’t clear if the orange telco has officially signed up with DNB which will enable them to start offering 5G services to the public. DNB has extended its free 5G access to telcos until the 30th June 2022 to facilitate a seamless transition for telcos that have yet to sign up for their 5G wholesale service.

As reported recently, the big four telcos including U Mobile were hesitant to sign DNB’s Reference Access Offer (RAO) due to pricing and transparency concerns. The wholesale price of RM30,000 per Gbps per month with a locked-in period of 10 years seems to be one of the biggest concerns as it doesn’t ensure cost efficiencies in the long run.

Prior to this, Yes 5G is the first and only telco in Malaysia to offer 5G services. Meanwhile, TM, which was the first telco to announce its participation in DNB’s pilot trials has yet to introduce any 5G plans in the market after 5 months. If U Mobile has signed with DNB, this would make them not just the second telco to offer 5G, but it’s the first among the big four telcos to finally offer 5G services. Since U Mobile is listed as a supported telco by Apple, iPhone users may soon be able to enjoy 5G services in Malaysia.

We’ve reached out to both U Mobile and Digital Nasional Berhad for a response and we will provide an update once we have more information.

Thanks Richie Low for dropping us a tip in our RKMD Facebook Group.

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