Perak: 5G coverage in populated areas across Perak has reached 80.9 per cent as of September, the State Legislative Assembly was told today. State Communications, Multimedia and Non-Governmental Organisation Committee chairman Mohd Azlan Helmi said the network's development was being implemented in stages through the expansion of transmitter sites in strategic and high-impact areas.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the development of the 5G network is being strengthened through U Mobile Sdn Bhd's plan for a second 5G network, which is currently being implemented in phases. This move is expected to increase network capacity, offer more options to users, and strengthen the competitiveness of Perak's digital ecosystem. Mohd Azlan highlighted these initiatives during a question-and-answer session in response to a query from Berhanudin Ahmad (PN-Manong) regarding the government's efforts to expand 5G coverage in rural and remote areas to support the digital economy and develop a digital society in Perak.
Meanwhile, Mohd Azlan mentioned several technical and logistical constraints that needed to be addressed progressively, including hilly terrain, areas without a clear Line of Sight (LOS), and the lack of fibre-optic backhaul in certain locations, to facilitate the network's expansion. He pointed out that factors such as low population density, lack of basic infrastructure, and unstable electricity supply also affect the project's implementation period.
However, efforts to expand the 5G network will continue with consideration of site readiness, local needs, and the priorities of high-impact areas such as industrial zones, educational institutions, public focal points, and rural economic growth centres. Mohd Azlan further explained that initiatives to create a digital society in Perak include the establishment of the Innovation and Multimedia Hub Unit (HiM), which focuses on developing a skilled workforce through ICT programmes for entrepreneurs, students, and school leavers.
The HiM provides technical and practical ICT training, corporate digital training for professionals, and ICT awareness programmes. Its main function is to coordinate efforts to develop the state's startup ecosystem, serve as a research, innovation, and creative development hub for continuous learning, provide training facilities and support, and act as the centre of the Perak digital entrepreneur community.