26/09/2025

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FRIDAY | SEPT 26, 2025

Institutional interest in digital assets rising in M’sia: Gobind

Govt explores potential of 5G broadcast technology

PUTRAJAYA: The government has begun exploring the potential of 5G broadcast technology to complement delivery methods in the national broadcasting sector, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is studying and testing the feasibility and suitability of this emerging technology for use in Malaysia. “MCMC has started conducting test bed sessions to examine technical aspects, including spectrum interference issues and suitability under certain conditions, to assess the capabilities of this technology. “The technical aspects being looked into by MCMC are to ensure that this technology can be used without disrupting other broadcasting modes or existing telecommunications services,” he told a press conference after opening the 5G Broadcast Conference yesterday. He said the technology is expected to mature within the next few years, as some European countries are set to roll it out as early as 2027. “Between 2027 and 2030 we will see greater development, because the technology is still very new as it requires specific chipsets to be installed in devices. It may only be in the next two to three generations of mobile phones that we can fully benefit from it,” he said. On the advantages of the technology if implemented, Fahmi said it could enhance the viewing experience of certain events through venue casting and also speed up the delivery of emergency broadcasts. “Broadcasts can be made very quickly and clearly, providing different perspectives using newer technologies such as 3D view and many other applications. “We are also studying several ways of delivering early warnings without relying on SMS. There are existing technologies, but we see that 5G broadcast will also help in that direction,” he added. The 5G broadcast technology is the latest evolution in telecommunications, allowing content to be transmitted directly to mobile devices without the need for traditional internet connections. Unlike conventional mobile networks that focus on two-way communication, 5G broadcast enables one-to-many signal transmission simultaneously, with high quality and wider coverage, using the ultra-high frequency band employed for terrestrial television broadcasting. The conference, organised by MCMC, brought together more than 400 parti cipants from various industry sectors and relevant agencies. The conference follows up on the Future Broadcasting Technology Study conducted by MCMC since 2023, which focuses on the potential of new technologies such as 5G Broadcast to strengthen the local broadcasting industry, including TV, radio and digital streaming. Also present were Deputy Communi cations Minister Teo Nie Ching, Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and Malaysian National News Agency CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin. – Bernama

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while also strengthening regulatory frameworks surrounding digital assets. He said the Ministry of Digital is working closely with the Securities Commission Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia, with the blockchain strategy falling under the ministry’s purview. “This is the reason why, having that as the background and context, conversations like this today, conferences like this today become very important. “We are very focused on reaching our targets, and one of the key areas we need to build is governance structures that deal with digital assets in the country,” he said. The Luno Institutional Digital Asset Conference drew fund managers, family offices, financial advisers, bankers, regulators and Web3 leaders, with official partners including Maybank, MTrustee Bhd, eworld, First Digital, Iota, Block daemon, Halogen, cokeeps, Rock wills, EquitiesTracker, pitchIN and Pragmax.

o Trust and interoperability central to adoption, growth of the industry, says minister

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is seeing stronger interest from institutional investors in digital assets, including digital currencies, decentralised finance and blockchain tech nology. Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said this reflects the serious ness with which industries are approaching digital assets. “As you can see today, the conversation has gained so much traction. The scale of engagement today underscores the importance of the subject,” he told reporters at the Luno Institutional Digital Asset Conference yesterday. Gobind said the long-term growth of the digital asset industry will depend on institutional buy-in and adoption, as governance, capital and innovation from esta blished financial players can accelerate its development. Several factors are crucial to encouraging adoption, he added, with trust and interoperability Malaysia’s newest 5G network pro vider, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) naming Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd as one of its strategic tech nology partners to establish its Enterprise Innovation Platform (EIP). The EIP will serve as a 5G Advanced (5G-A) and artificial intel ligence (AI) innovation lab, bringing together end-to-end ecosystem partners and technology expertise to support enterprise use case innovation and adoption. U Mobile will leverage Huawei Malaysia’s technical expertise and services for the EIP to enable the design and integration of a comprehensive network archi tecture for solutions development, pilot projects and proof of concept (PoC) activities, drawing from Huawei’s experience in its 5G-to Business (5G-to-B), 5G-to-Consumer (5G-to-C) and 5G-to-Home (5G-to-H) segments. The parties will also explore smart monetisation initiatives leveraging AI and Machine Learning to improve customer experience. Together, both parties will foster a rich innovation ecosystem within the EIP by sharing industry knowledge, global references and validated business cases, as well as by supporting start-ups and early

stage ventures through funding, incubation resources, support and technical enablement. Through the EIP, U Mobile and Huawei Malaysia will also host awareness and outreach programmes, including technology demonstrations, seminars, exhibitions, roadshows and digital campaigns, to showcase solutions and foster collaboration across industries. U Mobile chief technology officer Woon Ooi Yuen said the telco looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with Huawei Malaysia as one of its strategic technology partners to establish its EIP. “This initiative will enable the development of localised 5G solu tions, pilot projects, and proofs of concept, while supporting smart monetisation and ecosystem growth. “As Malaysia’s newest 5G network provider, we are committed to accelerating enterprise 5G adoption and digital transformation, enabling businesses to benefit from the latest innovations in next-gen ULTRA5G connectivity and AI, supported by Huawei’s expertise. “We look forward to forging more collaborations with a variety of partners to ensure the success of EIP,” he said. The MoU signing took place at the GSMA Digital Nation Summit Kuala Lumpur (Asean Edition), and being central. Malaysia already has regulatory frameworks in place through the Securities Commission and Bank Negara. Still, Gobind emphasised that trust must be earned by ensuring safety and security in the digital space. Consumers, meanwhile, are in creasingly expecting a seamless experience. “It is equally crucial to have interoperability standards that ensure smooth integration of digital asset systems with existing payment platforms and mobile wallets,” he said. Gobind noted that the digital asset ecosystem is maturing rapidly, offering traditional financial insti tutions an opportunity to diversify their portfolios. “With digital currencies, decentralised finance and blockchain technology driving

innovation, digital assets are emerging as a mainstream asset class that must be embraced for long-term sustainability.” The minister said the high level of participation reflected the seriousness with which industries are beginning to approach digital assets, especially when considering the digital economy’s projected role in gross domestic product (GDP) growth over the next decade. “As you know, the contribution of the digital economy to Malaysia’s GDP in 2023 was 23%. We have a target of 25.5% by the end of this year, and moving towards 2030, we are looking at a higher mark of 30% which I think is achievable,” he added. To reach these targets, Gobind said, there is a need to build infrastructure that facilitates digital transformation across industries,

U Mobile taps Huawei to accelerate 5G-A, AI adoption via Enterprise Innovation Platform PETALING JAYA: U Mobile,

From left: Woon, Chang, Mohamad Salim. Teo, Mano, Sun and Chow at the MoU signing ceremony.

was signed by Woon and Huawei Malaysia carrier business deputy CEO Zac Chow. The ceremony was witnessed by Deputy Minister of Communi cations Teo Nie Ching, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, Ministry of Communications deputy secret ary-general Mano Verabathran, U Mobile deputy CEO Kenneth Chang and Huawei Malaysia CEO Simon Sun.

Chow said, “Huawei is considered a leader in 5G-Advanced, with GlobalData naming us the sole ‘Leader’ in their 2025 ‘5G RAN: Competitive Landscape Assessment’ for the seventh consecutive time, recognising our strengths in 5G Advanced and AI integration. “We are also one of the leaders in research and development world wide, and we look forward to leveraging these and our ecosystem of partners to support innovation in Malaysia.”