KUALA LUMPUR: Rolling out 5G network services in Malaysia will bridge the country's digital divide and accelerate its digital transformation, says Ericsson president and chief executive officer Börje Ekholm.
With Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) having the spectrum, end-to-end design and technology needed to deliver a 5G network to provide consumers and businesses with blazing speeds and an enhanced customer experience, he noted that Malaysia has the potential to become a global frontrunner in 5G, which will allow the country's entrepreneurs to develop new solutions on top of the network.
"The launch of 5G represents a significant moment in Malaysia's telecommunications journey and together with DNB, we will bring the benefits of a world-class 5G experience to the country," said Ekholm.
"It will also help reduce the digital divide, through the use of technology such as Fixed Wireless Access to provide ultra-fast connectivity to remote areas."
Ericsson is currently powering 108 live 5G networks — more than half of the world's such networks. Globally, 73 countries have introduced 5G and Ericsson powers networks in 48 of them, which is more than 60 per cent of the countries that have already launched 5G networks..
"Our focus on innovation and reliability has made us a trusted partner to deliver 5G networks in the most advanced and demanding 5G markets such as the United States where we provide infrastructure products and services for all the national telecom operators and cemented our 5G RAN market leadership last year.
"5G technology is a core part of our business and Ericsson invests US$ 4.4 billion in research and development annually, about 20 per cent of our sales and around a quarter of our workforce is deployed in R&D activity," he said.
He added that Ericsson is working with DNB on the accelerated rollout and providing an affordable and world-class customer experience, all based on a trustworthy, resilient and secure 5G network that will form the foundation for a thriving digital ecosystem.
"The strong partnership and combined capabilities have made it possible to launch 5G in Malaysia in less than six months after the contract was awarded."
Ericsson is leveraging its technology leadership and the extra capacity and coverage of C band (mid band) to provide a fantastic customer experience to build a world-class network end to end by using advanced solutions such as Multi Operator Core Network that allows the radio network to be shared by all six operators.
"We will also operate the network largely using local resources and the latest tools and Artificial Intelligence to guarantee the lowest cost per GB and enable affordable prices of data in Malaysia, with a world-class customer experience," said Ekholm.
"The ongoing 5G rollout will see Ericsson partnering with local contractors and hiring more Malaysians, while working with existing vendors and contractors, and developing a pipeline for the future so that we can continue to bring on more Malaysians as we progress."
Every potential vendor and contractor, added Ekholm, must have the requisite technical capabilities, a proven track record and a company background which meet the stringent requirements set by Ericsson.
"This ensures that we can maintain our global technology leadership and provide the world-class network that we have committed to deliver. We will always welcome hearing from any potential local partners interested in working with us on this important project."
To support the management of the DNB network, Ericsson also recently set up a Network Operations Centre in Petaling Jaya, using the latest Artificial Intelligence and machine learning technologies.
It is also extending its Ericsson Educate programme to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to help educate Malaysian students about 5G and its related technologies.
