KUALA LUMPUR: Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) is the country's first to adopt a commercial private 5G network at its Regasification Terminal Sungai Udang (RGTSU) in Melaka.
Deputy Prime Minister and Plantation and Commodities Minister, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the deployment of the Petronas 5G Private Network sets the stage for a dynamic partnership between the government, private sector, and academia.
He added that it presents an opportunity for collaborative efforts to fully unlock the potential of 5G technology.
"This collaboration will create an environment where innovation thrives, allowing us to harness the complete capabilities of 5G.
"Additionally, a core focus will be on nurturing local talent, ensuring that our workforce possesses the skills and expertise necessary to propel our digital future forward," he said at the launch of 5G Private Network Adoption today.
To date, Malaysia has received recognition from independent analytics companies Opensignal and Ookla on its efforts to become a global leader in 5G connectivity.
Malaysia is also well on track in its target to achieve 80 per cent 5G network coverage in populated areas by the end of 2023.
"The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in working closely with mobile service providers to deploy 5G standalone networks will foster more use case development across industries in Malaysia.
"As of September 2023, Malaysia's 5G network coverage in populated areas stands at 70.2 per cent, with 5G subscriptions totaling 2.49 million, translating to 7.4 per cent penetration rate," said Fadillah.
Sharing on the benefits of 5G, Petronas senior vice president, project delivery and technology Datuk Bacho Pilong said the deployment of the 5G private network at RGTSU Melaka, has improved operational efficiency and safety, supporting its business and sustainability targets.
"By combining 5G with Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and automation, we are putting Petronas as among the leaders in the global technological race.
"This will also ensure we meet the demands of supplying safe, reliable, cost-optimised and emission-abated energy solutions for Malaysia and our customers globally," Pilong added.