Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - According to Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa, Malaysia is anticipated to unveil a plan...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - According to Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa, Malaysia is anticipated to unveil a plan for the sale of a 70 percent equity stake in the state-run 5G agency to six companies by next week.
By the end of June, the Malaysian government had hoped to conclude talks over the sale of a stake in Digital Nasional Berhad.
The four largest telecommunications companies in Malaysia reportedly requested a controlling stake last month, rejecting a government proposal to give them minority ownership.
Minister Annuar stated that talks were proceeding as expected and that a formal announcement might be made the following week.
On the margins of a trade show, Annuar told reporters, "They have come to an accord and everything will be finished by next week, by the eighth of July.
He said nothing more specific.
Four businesses—Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi Telecommunications, Maxis Bhd, and U Mobile—had applied for a combined majority share.
According to a letter the companies addressed to the finance minister in May and which was seen by Reuters, the corporations also demand a review of the price structure and network access plan provided by the 5G agency.
The standoff between DNB and the four major providers over pricing and transparency, as well as worries that a single state-run network would lead to a nationalised monopoly, is hampering Malaysia's ambitions for 5G, according to Reuters.
Only two smaller providers have agreed to participate in the government's 5G plan: Telekom Malaysia and YTL Communications, a division of YTL Corporation.
Imri Mokhtar, the chief executive of Telekom Malaysia, stated that the business was in the last stages of negotiations over the shareholding in DNB.
At the same occasion, he remarked, "We will make an announcement once any deal is finalised.
