Perak is expected to have 80 percent stable 5G network coverage by 2024, with the focus currently centered on the city of Ipoh.
Perak Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said, his side is aiming for the fifth generation wireless connection technology to be gradually expanded to other districts in the state.
He also said that it was realized as an initial step through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Ipoh City Council (MBI) and YTL Communications Sdn. Bhd.
Saarani said that with the signing of the MoU, Ipoh will become one of the cities with the widest 5G coverage in Malaysia.
“5G for Ipoh is just the beginning but of course we will employ it for the rest of the state, especially for new industrial growth areas.
“For example, it will be expanded into Manjung, Taiping and Kuala Kangsar after this,” he said.
He said this in a press conference after witnessing the MoU between MBI and YTL Communications Sdn. Bhd. on Thursday.
Also present were, the Mayor of Ipoh, Dato’ Rumaizi Baharin @ Md Daud and the Chief Executive Officer of YTL Communications Sdn. Bhd., Wing K Lee, as well as the Chief Executive Officer of the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation, Yahanis Yahya and the Deputy Director General of Development and Commercial of the Malaysian Timber Industry Board, Roslina Idris.
Meanwhile, Rumaizi said so far there are 37 5G network sites installed in the city, and they are expecting another 106 sites to be built by the end of this year.
“This achievement is the result of the Greater Ipoh 5G Taskforce Committee. It is hoped that this MoU and assistance by Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) will speed up 5G coverage here.
“So far the city of Ipoh has a fairly stable network coverage. We have reached the average national 5G speed of 620 megabytes per second.
“Sometimes the reach of the 5G network around the Ipoh city centre exceeds 1 gigabyte per second. Ipoh is also one of the cities with the widest 5G coverage network in Malaysia,” said Rumaizi.
Earlier in the ceremony, there was also an MoU between the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) and an MoU with the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation (PPPNP).
The MoU between MBI and MTIB is a continuation of the Parks and Landscape Department’s activities and programmes that use bamboo as an alternative material in the construction of landscape components such as rest huts and bamboo pagodas.
While the MoU between MBI and PPPNP involves joint ventures for development in the Gunung Masoorat area, which covers agricultural development in the surrounding area.
It is one of the measures to ensure ‘food security’ by encouraging agriculture in wasteland.
by Rosli Mansor
