Friday 29 Mar 2024
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KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 28): Ericsson is confident of meeting the 5G deployment targets set by Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), with which it has entered into a 10-year partnership to drive the rollout of the next-generation wireless cellular technology in Malaysia.

DNB, which aims to have 80% 5G nationwide population coverage by 2024, targets to launch Malaysia’s first 5G network in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya in the initial phase, Ericsson said in a statement Tuesday.

According to Ericsson, its exclusive partnership with DNB spans the delivery of energy-efficient Ericsson radio system products and solutions, including Ericsson spectrum sharing — a software for wide-area 5G coverage. The scope includes cloud-native 5G Core and 5G Radio Access (RAN) nationwide. Ericsson will also manage the unique requirements of a single wholesale network with its managed services offering — Ericsson Operations Engine. The solution will enhance the performance of DNB’s network using AI, automation and cognitive software to predict and prevent issues. Ericsson’s end-to-end scope also includes operational support systems (OSS) and business support systems (BSS) solutions.

The Swedish company said its participation in the national 5G project will result in direct and indirect socio-economic contributions in areas such as job creation, partnership with Bumiputera and other local contractors and ecosystem players, and knowledge and capacity building in Malaysia. Ericsson has 97 5G networks operating live across 46 countries.

In the same statement, DNB chief executive officer Ralph Marshall said DNB identified Ericsson to offer the best next generation 5G technology and professional services available to suit DNB’s specific and unique requirements.

Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh David Hägerbro said 5G is a platform for open innovation and is becoming the cornerstone upon which a country’s competitiveness is built.

"Malaysia’s and DNB’s commitment to accelerating the deployment of 5G is to be congratulated, as it will speed up the adoption of 5G nationally, bridge the digital divide and transform the nation. 5G will help to facilitate the government’s ambition to promote Malaysians to become technology creators through development of 5G applications and use cases," Hägerbro said.

“With a 56-year legacy of contributing to Malaysia’s development, we are excited to be extending our commitment to the nation. Ericsson is confident that with our global 5G leadership and strong deployment capabilities, we will meet the deployment targets set by DNB,” he added.

DNB is tasked with helping Malaysia to achieve its digital aspirations as outlined in the government’s MyDIGITAL blueprint, which plans to transform Malaysia into a digitally driven, high income nation and a leader in digital content, cyber security and digital economy in the Southeast Asia region.

On July 1, the Malaysia government via its special purpose vehicle DNB has appointed Ericsson (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to design and build its 5G network at a total cost of RM11 billion.

The Edge previously reported that it had invited eight companies to participate with the 5G network tender, namely Ericsson, Chinese multinational corporations Huawei and ZTE, American multinational technology firm Cisco, Japanese multinational NEC, Finnish multinational telecommunications and technology company Nokia, South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung and FiberHome, an information and communications technology network products and solutions provider in China.

Edited ByTan Choe Choe
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