U Mobile inks partnership with Huawei Malaysia and ZTE Malaysia for Malaysia’s Next Gen 5G network

U Mobile has chosen Huawei Malaysia and ZTE Malaysia as its partners for Malaysia’s Next Gen 5G network. The signing ceremony was attended by YB Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, the Communications Minister of Malaysia, and Li Lecheng, a representative from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).

Huawei and ZTE will play a key role in achieving U Mobile’s network objectives. The company to achieve 80% coverage of populated areas within the first 12 months of commencing its network deployment, and 90% coverage of populated areas in the subsequent 12 months. This plan aligns with U Mobile’s strategy to promote the adoption of 5G and 5G-A, especially for businesses.

Prior to the media briefing, there was a signing ceremony where Chairman of U Mobile, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, expressed gratitude to the MADANI Government of Malaysia, particularly the Ministry of Communications and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), for their confidence in U Mobile and the introduction of the 5G Dual Network model. This model is expected to enhance industry participation, promote competition, and drive innovation, ultimately improving quality and service. The company anticipates contributing to Malaysia’s Next Gen 5G network to foster growth and elevate standards in the digital economy.

During the media briefing, U Mobile announced that their Next Gen 5G network, designed for businesses, will improve customers’ overall experience with advanced and reliable technology. This network will include modern capabilities, a ready-to-use infrastructure, an efficient structure, and strong security.

U Mobile’s Next Gen 5G network aims to meet diverse organizational needs with features like 5G-Advanced and network slicing from rollout. The company plans to increase indoor sites to improve in-building 5G coverage, which is currently limited. Key focus areas for the network include transportation hubs, medical and sports facilities, smart cities, and data centers, ensuring 5G indoor coverage throughout all buildings.

“U Mobile is honoured to have received the MADANI government and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) trust in implementing Malaysia’s newest Next Gen 5G network. We believe our Next Gen 5G network that is enterprise-grade will improve Malaysia’s total 5G and 5G-A experience, be it for consumers or enterprises. We will also increase competition in the industry by providing more options at a wholesale level. Most importantly, we look forward to spurring innovation and adoption of solutions,” said U Mobile’s Chief Technology Officer, Woon Ooi Yuen.

Huawei Malaysia and ZTE Malaysia will support U Mobile’s network success. As technology partners, they aim to provide a strong and reliable 5G experience for consumers and businesses. Both companies possess the latest technology and global experience, ensuring they can meet U Mobile’s fast timelines after a fair and thorough tender process.

“We started this selection process last year with invitations to tender, sent out to network equipment and software provider companies from all regions. Ultimately, only two Chinese companies responded and we are delighted to work with Huawei and ZTE on this significant endeavour. Apart from their global technology track record, they have also shared vision for an efficient and rapid rollout. U Mobile is looking forward to Huawei and ZTE playing a critical role in bringing a Next Gen 5G network that is enterprise-grade to Malaysians rapidly,” said Woon.

“Huawei has consistently been recognised as a global leader in the 5G market with GlobalData naming us a leader for six consecutive years, as well as being ranked first globally in the number of 5G patents owned. Our unique 5G MetaAAU solution that adopts the industry’s latest Massive-MIMO technology has transformed the ICT landscape by being technologically advanced 24 months ahead of other solutions in the market. We are honoured by the trust placed in us and we pledge to work hard to fulfil, as well as rise above and beyond, our obligations. Together with U Mobile, we aim to build a bespoke 5G-A ready network, providing differentiated 5G and 5G-A experiences to people, homes and industries. Our end-to-end ICT solutions enable an ecosystem that synergises technologies for businesses from hardware, software, green energy, cloud and smart devices that expand vertical business growth, as well as nurture and grow local 5G-A talents. We look forward to accelerating digital transformation to support Malaysia’s digital economy and shape the D.N.A. for an intelligent future,” said Simon Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Huawei Malaysia.

“ZTE is pleased to be the technology partner of U Mobile and is honoured to play a crucial role in shaping Malaysia’s 5G landscape. This partnership continues our journey of building the nation’s telecommunications evolution — from 2G through 3G and 4G, and now into the 5G era. As a leading innovator in the global telecommunications industry, ZTE’s 5G CommonCore and Radio Access Network (RAN) solutions were recognised as industry “Leaders” by GlobalData, Gartner, and Omdia. We remain dedicated to delivering cutting-edge innovations to the region, exemplified by the introduction of 5G-A, which set a new industry benchmark and earned ZTE and U Mobile a place in the Malaysia Book of Records. Our strong commitment to supporting Malaysia’s digitalisation and its ASEAN Chairmanship is further demonstrated through our Minimalist Private 5G-A Solution, deployed during SUKMA 2024, which was honoured with the GSMA Foundry Innovation Award at the GLOMO Awards 2025.We look forward to continuing our collaboration with U Mobile, as we work together to realise Malaysia’s vision of becoming a regional digital leader,” said Steven Ge, Managing Director of ZTE Malaysia.

For more information, please visit www.u.com.my/nextgen5G