Telekom Malaysia (TM) announced that that it will switch from 5G wholesale operator Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) to competing 5G wholesaler U Mobile, which it said will boost its competitiveness in the mobile sector.
TM will enter into a new three-year wholesale agreement with U Mobile, which will provide end-to-end 5G multi-operator core network (MOCN) services including provisioning, system integration, activation, testing and continuous optimisation.
TM said it has exercised its contractual rights to terminate its current 5G wholesale access arrangement with DNB, in accordance with the agreement terms and subject to regulatory processes and requirements.
“Mobile services are a critical pillar of TM’s convergence ambitions, enabling integrated fixed, mobile, content and smart services across consumer, SME and enterprise segments,” TM said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia. “The introduction of the government’s dual 5G network framework provides the opportunity for TM to evaluate options that best support long-term competitiveness and value of its convergence offerings.”
U Mobile CEO Wong Heang Tuck said in a separate statement that the deal is not only good for TM’s 5G ambitions, but also illustrates the value of the dual-5G wholesale model.
“We are confident in our ability to deliver superior performance, reliability, robust security and enhanced customer experience to TM, supporting its ambitions to strengthen mobile competitiveness and advance its convergence strategy,” he said.
TM is the only telco in Malaysia who does not hold an ownership stake in DNB apart from U Mobile, which exited DNB in May 2025 after being chosen as the country’s second 5G wholesaler in November 2024.
TM currently provides fibre backhaul for U Mobile’s 5G network under a ten-year agreement signed last year.
U Mobile, which is still rolling out its 5G network, also said it is ahead of schedule in its goal to achieve 80% coverage of populated areas by the second half of 2026.
