Malaysia’s Maxis inks 5G network provisioning agreement with Huawei

The partnership will also allow Maxis to have access to insights, standards, products and solutions that would make 5G easier to deploy and operate and introduce new use cases in the country

Malaysia’s leading converged ICT solutions provider, Maxis has entered into a landmark network agreement with its long-term network partner Huawei Technologies for the provisioning of the 5G network in the Southeast Asian country.

Maxis was the first to bring 4G to the Malaysian market and now it is gearing up to deploy 5G, the next-generation telecom networks, and services. As part of the agreement Huawei, the global technology leader will supply 4G/LTE and 5G radio equipment and services, thereby helping Maxis to modernize its existing LTE network and facilitate the faster rollout of 5G services when the spectrum is available, which is expected in the second half of 2020.

In addition, the partnership will also allow Maxis to have access to insights, standards, products and solutions that would make 5G easier to deploy and operate and introduce new use cases in the country. Huawei experts will also support Maxis on a series of technical training programs on planning, operations, and maintenance of the 5G network, the Chinese tech giant said in a press statement.

"There is no doubt that 5G will be a key driver for connecting everyone in Malaysia and transforming key industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare so that we can remain globally competitive. Collaboration between global players and local vendors is important to support a thriving technology ecosystem in Malaysia. I am pleased to see Maxis and Huawei taking advantage of this environment and supporting the growth of Malaysia’s digital economy," said Yang Amat Berhormat Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, while commenting on the landmark agreement.

"Our vision is aligned with the Government of Malaysia in bringing digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. Huawei has supported the deployment of 5G by many operators globally. The company brings with them years of expertise and research in 5G, having set up a platform for operators and industry partners to incubate 5G applications together. Working together for over 10 years, Huawei has supported Maxis to become the undisputed network leader in the country," said Ryan Ding, Executive Director, CEO of the Carrier BG, Huawei.

The 5G era has almost commenced with South Korea being its early adopter while the global adoption is expected to take off in 2021. The emerging fifth generation of mobile communication networks promises to offer 10x higher speeds as compared to what the existing 4G networks deliver, large bandwidth, lower latency and accelerate the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT).