LANGKAWI: U Mobile Sdn Bhd is embarking on the 5G business journey by allocating RM300 mil to revamp its operations.
Chief executive officer Wong Heang Tuck said the company had set aside more than RM100 mil to improve its core services to leverage on 5G and more than RM200 mil to strengthen the billing system.
Speaking at the media briefing here today, he said the core services were scheduled to be 5G-ready by the middle of this year.
“The current revamp exercise only covers the back-end, not the front-end yet. So, there will be more investment to come,” Wong said.
On the billing system, he said the existing system would be improved to ensure accuracy in every charge.
“In the future because of 5G and when you have network slicing and all those things to provide different services, there is a need for a total revamp of the billing system. No use having the services but not being able to bill or to bill correctly,” he explained.
Moving forward, Wong stressed that U Mobile would have three focus verticals, namely 5G-enabled healthcare, fourth industrial revolution and e-sport services.
He said these verticals were expected to be among the first to adopt and take advantage of 5G’s full benefits and unlimited potentials.
Commenting on the 5G technology implementation in the country, he said awareness among businesses on its benefits still had room for improvement.
“So that’s why all telco operators are here to demonstrate what are the potentials and areas that can be leveraged on.
“Basically, 5G applications depend on companies’ readiness to adopt digital transformation to benefit from the technology,” he said.
As for the consumer, the technology would be widely used with the launches of more 5G smartphones and other devices, Wong said, adding that they would experience a hundred times faster speed than the current 4G.
U Mobile is among the companies that are currently running 5G demonstration projects here.
The company is organising five use cases on the island such as the remote consultation with the Centre for Biomedical Technology Integration’s (CBMTI) MEDCOM, which is a 5G-enabled telemedicine devices that allow doctors to offer consultation to patients remotely and one currently benefitting from the service is Hospital Sultanah Maliha here.
CBMTI is a research and development-based company set up by the University of Malaya.
U Mobile has also partnered with local startup DoctorOnCall to develop DOCpod, an online platform that enables patients to receive remote consultation from a qualified doctor in the privacy of a pod resembling a vending machine.
U Mobile is also initiating use cases on virtual reality tourism, virtual reality gaming and fixed wireless access.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad visited the 5G demonstration project of healthcare vertical at Hospital Sultanah Maliha today.
The prime minister is scheduled to officiate the 5G Malaysia Demonstration Project on the island tonight. – Jan 19, 2020, Bernama
