Partnership leverages each other’s resources, enabling wider and more efficient deployment of 5G network to accelerate access for consumers and businesses

With the advent of 5G well and truly upon us, two of the country’s biggest telco companies have teamed up to bring out the best of what 5G has to offer. Celcom and Maxis have today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore a potential partnership for efficient deployment of Malaysia’s 5G infrastructure, further supporting the development of the nation’s digital ecosystem.

The collaboration will also enable both telcos to explore possible business opportunities in relation to 5G key strategic areas to deliver the best 5G innovation to benefit the people and businesses in Malaysia as soon as the necessary spectrum is made available.

This potential collaboration focuses on the joint deployment of 5G infrastructure which will cover selected areas. Maxis and Celcom will still maintain its own network and remain competitive in other areas.

Both Idham Nawawi and Gokhan Ogut, CEOs of Celcom and Maxis respectively, welcomed the idea of the potential collaboration, citing that collaboration is the way forward for the industry and that the collaboration will pave the way for the delivery of a world-class 5G network for every Malaysian.

The potential collaboration between Maxis and Celcom supports Malaysia’s ambition in driving the digital economy and ecosystem, brings about significant cost savings and creates overall efficiency for both parties which will result in a faster roll out and better experience of 5G for consumers and businesses in the near future.

It’s exciting to see just what both Maxis and Celcom can achieve when they work together. Both companies have been at the forefront of 5G adoption in the country, with both companies starting it’s 5G journey 2 years ago. We’ll probably have to wait until mid next year for a proper 5G roll out, but hopefully this partnership makes it well worth it.

That being said, this potential partnership could cement both Maxis and Celcom’s status at the top two telcos in the country. Surely, Digi won’t be too happy about that.

The yellow telco has been rather quiet as compared to it’s green and blue counterparts. The company has just announced a collaboration with Cyberview to set up a 5G OpenLab to spur 5G innovation. However, this arguably pales in comparison to Maxis partnership with Huawei and Celcoms 5G trials. It’d be naive to assume Digi is out of the 5G pioneering race completely, but the company best announce something if they are to keep up.