KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 28): Mobile network operators (MNOs) and Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) have yet to sign a share subscription agreement (SSA), Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said, as a few details related to the agreement still need to be ironed out.
“I met with them (MNOs) last Friday (Nov 24), and we have one or two final questions that the MNOs have raised. We shared the draft of the SSA on Monday (Nov 27), and we are finalising one or two details today (Nov 28),” Fahmi told the media on Tuesday on the sidelines of Permodalan Nasional Bhd’s inaugural Planet Cyber 2023.
He did not elaborate on what the details are, but noted that he hopes for the agreement to be inked “very, very soon”.
On Nov 17, Fahmi reportedly said that the DNB SSA was to be signed by MNOs within a week.
Touching on the second entity under Malaysia’s dual wholesale network model, Fahmi reiterated that its formation will be announced by the government once DNB’s current network reaches 80% coverage of populated area (CoPA).
“Then either the MNOs come to a mutual agreement as to which entities will be Entity A (DNB) or B (the second entity), or the final arbiter that will decide will be the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission,” he said.
As at end-October, the 5G network’s CoPA stood at 73%.
It was previously reported that five MNOs — namely CelcomDigi Bhd, Maxis Bhd, Telekom Malaysia Bhd, U Mobile Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd — have agreed to take up equity stakes in DNB to support the country’s 5G network development.