Bernama - U Mobile: 4G conversion for all subscribers by year-end

KUALA LUMPUR: Telecommunications service provider, U Mobile is confident all its subscribers will convert to fourth generation (4G) network following the sunset of 3G network by the end of the year.

Its chief marketing officer, Jasmine Lee said the telco operator started the exercise two years ago, together with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to encourage users to convert to 4G devices for better connectivity experience.

"When 3G network is shut off, we can re-farm the spectrum over to 4G network that will provide users with better coverage as well as better connectivity experience.

"The industry has been aggressively expanding 4G network coverage, and for the last two years U Mobile has already expanded its 4G coverage capacity to over 7,400 sites nationwide including rural areas in Kelantan and Sabah," she said in Bernama TV's The Nation: JENDELA programme, today.

According to her, the National Digital Infrastructure Plan (JENDELA) initiative helped to organise the telco industry in achieving the country’s full potential of digitisation and reduce the digital divide among the people.

"When JENDELA comes in, it adds a different dimension on the national level to make it easier for telco operators in our expansion plan. It also fits nicely into our aspiration to provide better connectivity.

"It is important that we have the national agenda that will help us in speeding up our efficiency as we work together with third parties for our expansion plans," she said.

Meanwhile, Lee said U Mobile has been actively participating and working with the government to identify areas it could focus on, ahead of the launching of the 5G network under the MyDIGITAL blueprint by the end of this year.

"We have already done a few 5G network trials for consumer services and manufacturing, as well as in telemedicine where it benefits more on the industry in changing how they work to create productivity and efficiency in mass scale.

"By the time 5G network comes out, we must make sure everyone is experiencing good connectivity and then we will see more explosions of start-ups and enterprises that can leverage the application of the 5G platform," she added.