5G network expected to create employment boost in Malaysia

The deployment of the fifth-generation network (5G) in the country has been projected to create about 148,000 new jobs.
By: | May 25, 2022
Topics: Digital Transformation | Malaysia | News | Recruitment

Prof Hafizal Mohamad, Department Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, said the country could see more new jobs with the advancement of the network, coupled with artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) applications, particularly in the education, agriculture, and manufacturing sectors.

Being one of the first countries in the region to build a 5G ecosystem, he said some projections estimated that approximately 148,000 new jobs would be created as the new 5G rollout progresses.

“These new AI and AR applications are not possible with the current network, unlike the 5G network. Therefore, we should be able to see quite a number of startups blooming soon to provide new services for 5G,” he said recently.

According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), a total of 500 5G locations have been completed under phase 1A as of December 2021, covering areas in Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, while phase 1B would see another rollout of 3,518 5G sites by year-end.

READ: Malaysia’s labour market momentum escalated in Q1 2022

Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), the government-owned special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the 5G rollout, is committed to an accelerated schedule to roll out 5G coverage to 80% of the population by 2024, according to Bernama.