By Mak Chin Wah, Country Manager, Malaysia and General Manager, Telecom Systems Business, South Asia, Dell Technologies

The fifth generation of telecommunication data, or 5G, has been earmarked as a critical building block in realising Malaysia’s aspiration to become a high-value digital economy and a hub for homegrown technologies and digital solutions. 

5G, with its far more robust wireless infrastructure, will connect clouds to edges, and masses of devices to people right across the globe. Yet, more importantly, it will require less energy to power it all when compared to 4G. However, there hasn’t been a full-scale rollout despite the huge potential – just 40% of global networks planned to be 5G accessible by 2024 now only account for 25% of global mobile traffic. 

Malaysia has come a long way since the advent of wireless cellular technology in the country, with the very first generation (1G) introduced in 1985. It has taken about 36 years to reach this 5G milestone with Malaysia launching the technology in 2021, making it one of the first countries in the region to commit to building a comprehensive ecosystem. 

5G will be a key driver of Malaysia's digital economy aspirations, in line with the goals of the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MyDIGITAL) and the 12th Malaysia Plan—key national roadmaps to prepare the nation for a data-driven future. Vertical industries like automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, education, and others can take full advantage of 5G to enhance capabilities in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, big data, cloud and data management. What’s more, these new technologies will attract investments to the country and create high-value jobs which in turn, generate economic benefits in the long run.

The future certainly looks promising—5G is poised to play a central role in opening the “floodgates” of opportunity for organisations in a digitally transformed age. 5G will boost a sustainable transition, support critical economic recovery, and power economies of the future. 

Taking technological development to the next level

The demands for ever more connectivity require ever more data transfer power. To address this demand, 5G will deliver ultra-fast connection speeds and gigantic bandwidth to drive companies’ efficiency and innovation potential. 

All the futuristic technologies long talked about are increasingly making a real-world impact. Heavy data users like Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Extended Reality (XR) will benefit just as much as high-precision tools like remote surgery and self-driving cars, which rely on ultra-low latency standards. 

The full rollout of 5G means consumers and businesses will also be able to fully enjoy a future-ready lifestyle. The i-City Golden Triangle in Shah Alam, for example, is developed with future-proof technology infrastructure in mind. The integrated ultrapolis is currently served by a 400G-capable network connectivity which enables it to comfortably cope with the demand for bandwidth which will undoubtedly be greater over time given the increased adoption of technology in everyday living. 

For the public, smart patient care and innovative medical sevices using 5G enterprise capabilities will enable hospitals to improve operational efficiency, while innovations such as AI-assisted in-patient care systems will allow medical staff to respond better to patients. For agriculture, precision tools and solutions enabled by 5G can help create efficiencies like never before through providing real-time, high speed communications among sensors and devices, enhancing business and consumer experience and choices. 

A game changer in sustainability

Perhaps even more important is the role of 5G in putting digital transformation on a sustainable pathway to reduce global emission up to 15% by 2030. This will go far to cut costs, energy usage, emissions and waste. 

Right now, throughput limitations force 4G network devices to work at full capacity, resulting in constant energy inefficiency. The increased capacity of 5G enables a 90% reduction in network energy usage and perhaps 10 years’ worth of battery life for low-power IoT devices. 

From energy distribution to challenges in food provision, IoT applications powered by 5G offer many other innovative solutions to sustainability. For example, the country's first smart green corporate tower in i-City, Shah Alam, will be outfitted with 5G-enabled sensors to monitor environment, energy consumption and human traffic flow—used to improve resource planning and efficiency, while also emphasising the environment. With the data collected, energy used to power lights, air conditioning and other electrical equipment can be tuned automatically based on the weather and the number of people inside the building.

Agriculture represents another exciting opportunity for Malaysia. The sector continues to be an important contributor to the country’s economy, being a global exporter of commodities such as palm oil, rubber and others. By deploying a massive number of interconnected sensors that remotely collect and analyse precise data from crops to machinery, to storage, the industry will benefit from optimised yields at far less cost.

Now is the time

Some doubt whether 5G is really something that is needed. Though hard to imagine, think back to the time of dial-up performance and contrast that experience with what we are now accustomed to with cable internet. That dramatic jump doesn’t even come close to the leap forward we can expect with the transition from 4G to 5G. It’s not just about speed, though. Together, data capacity and speed will enable a radical new spectrum of possibilities. 

Building sustainable 5G networks is no small feat, even when compared to past telecom generations. It’s a massive undertaking that requires considerable public and private support for new infrastructure, devices and services. Despite the costs, it’s critical to future-proof the economy and sustain competitiveness. 

Malaysia has taken its first steps in building its 5G ecosystem with the creation of Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) to undertake and oversee the deployment of 5G infrastructure and network nationwide. In December 2021, 5G coverage was made available in three cities including Kuala  Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. The goal is to have 80% of the population accessible to 5G mobile coverage by 2024. The targeted coverage is to also help businesses digitise and move Malaysia up the global value chain faster ahead of most Asean countries.

For these to happen, we must all work together to invest in a mobile future that will offer considerable opportunities and inclusivity going forward. With the right tools and know-how in place, Malaysia will not only recover but evolve to prosper.