KUALA LUMPUR: Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) will expand the 5G network throughout the country to cover 70 per cent of highly-populated areas.

Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said DNB planned to implement infrastructure expenditure worth RM1.3 billion in 2023.

"The people will also enjoy faster Internet speeds and cheaper 5G Internet access," he said when tabling the 2023 Budget in Parliament here, today.

He said the government, through the National Digital Infrastructure Plan (Jendela) initiative, would allocate RM700 million to implement digital connectivity in 47 industrial areas and nearly 3,700 schools.

Tengku Zafrul said in phase two of the Jendela initiative, the government would also assure 100 per cent Internet coverage in populated areas and provide fibre optic coverage to nine million premises nationwide by 2025.