Credit : Fahmi Fadzil's X
DOHA, November 8, 2026 — Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil told Mobile World Congress (MWC) Doha 2026 on Sunday that Malaysia’s second 5G network reached 90 per cent coverage in October, nine months ahead of schedule.
“Today I am leading the Malaysian delegation to Mobile World Congress (MWC) Doha 2026: Digital Leadership Forum and the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference (ITU-PP26),” Fahmi wrote on X. “Among them, the country’s second 5G network achieved 90 per cent coverage in October 2026, nine months ahead of the set schedule.”
He said the milestone marked important progress in Malaysia’s move to a dual 5G network model, which aims to strengthen competition, encourage investment and improve the quality of telecommunications services.
U Mobile, which is building the second network, announced on October 6 that its 5G network had reached 90 per cent coverage of populated areas nationwide, meeting its July 2027 commitment more than nine months early, at an event officiated by Fahmi. The company said it began its rollout in July 2025 and passed 80 per cent coverage in March 2026.
Speaking at the Digital Leadership Forum ministerial panel, Fahmi said Malaysia had also invested heavily in digital infrastructure through the National Digital Network Plan (JENDELA) since 2020. “As of July 2026, approximately 10.12 million premises had been passed by fibre, significantly improving access to high-speed broadband services,” he said, as reported by Bernama.
He stressed, however, that infrastructure development was not only about coverage, as service quality, affordability and resilience were equally important. “Through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, or MCMC, we continue to promote infrastructure sharing and efficient network deployment, while addressing connectivity gaps in underserved communities,” he said.
He said the dual-network transition was aimed at building a competitive and sustainable telecommunications ecosystem while making sure consumers benefited from better service quality, Bernama reported.
Fahmi said the Universal Service Provision framework played an important role in taking telecommunications services to areas where commercial investment alone might not be viable. “For Malaysia, a successful network model is one that combines strong infrastructure, sustainable investment, effective regulation and meaningful access for all,” he added. He said the approach allowed Malaysia to balance infrastructure investment with the need to keep telecommunications services accessible and affordable.
Fahmi is leading Malaysia’s delegation to ITU PP-26, which runs from November 6 to 11, as the country seeks re-election to the ITU Council for the 2027-2030 term. The delegation includes officials from the Communications Ministry and MCMC as well as Telekom Malaysia, CelcomDigi, Maxis and U Mobile, Bernama reported.
U Mobile said it has also passed 250 in-building coverage sites nationwide and will continue to strengthen indoor coverage while helping organisations adopt technologies such as 5G-Advanced and AI-enabled solutions. Fahmi is accompanied in Doha by the Communications Ministry’s Deputy Secretary-General (Telecommunications Infrastructure), Mano Verabathran.
In his post, Fahmi said the MADANI government would continue to showcase Malaysia’s achievements on international platforms while strengthening strategic cooperation to drive the country’s digital and telecommunications ecosystem.
Source: Fahmi Fadzil’s X post, November 8, 2026, 3:21 PM Malaysia time; Bernama and The Star, November 8, 2026; U Mobile press release, October 6, 2026.
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