U Mobile Completes Its 5G Rollout Nine Months Early - The Telco That Entered the Race Last Has Finished First

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U Mobile says its ULTRA5G network has reached 90% 5G Coverage of Populated Areas (CoPA) nationwide.

The telco said it met its July 2027 commitment more than nine months early.

It announced the milestone on Tuesday (6 October) at an event officiated by Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil and Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.

U Mobile reached 80% CoPA before the end of March 2026, according to the company’s April statement.

The latest figure is 10 percentage points higher, about six months later.

U Mobile began the rollout with two commitments: 80% CoPA within the first 12 months, and 90% by July 2027.

It reached the 80% mark more than three months before its July 2026 deadline.

CEO Wong Heang Tuck said the company made a commitment to build a nationwide 5G network “at speed and scale” and has delivered on it ahead of schedule.

He said the focus now is to keep strengthening the ULTRA5G experience and to help businesses, communities and public services turn connectivity into value.

That trajectory is worth noting in the context of Malaysia’s broader 5G restructuring. While CelcomDigi and Maxis moved to take DNB private, U Mobile was quietly building a parallel network that has now, by coverage figures at least, delivered ahead of every deadline set for it.

U Mobile said it has surpassed 250 in-building coverage (IBC) sites nationwide.

In April, the company said it was on track to deploy 175 IBC sites by July 2026.

U Mobile said Ookla named it Malaysia’s Best Mobile Network and Fastest 5G Network in 2026.

It said Opensignal recognised it for improvements in reliability, network quality, speed and 5G experience.

The Malaysia Book of Records also recognised its rollout as the fastest 5G network rollout in the country.

Malaysia announced its move from a single wholesale 5G network to a dual network model in May 2023.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) named U Mobile as the operator for the second 5G network in November 2024.

In May 2025, U Mobile sold its entire stake in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), the operator of the first network, for RM100,000. CelcomDigi, Maxis, YTL Power and the Ministry of Finance (Inc) took over the shares.

In late February 2026, Telekom Malaysia (TM) signed a three-year wholesale agreement with U Mobile. TM will offer 5G services over U Mobile’s network.

According to Data Center Dynamics, CelcomDigi and Maxis confirmed they were buying the government’s 41.7% stake in DNB, making the company privately owned.

U Mobile said it will continue expanding in-building coverage and advancing 5G-Advanced and AI-enabled solutions for organisations.

READ MORE: Malaysia’s Indoor 5G War Has A Winner; The Rural One Hasn’t Started Yet

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