Cabinet To Decide Single 5g Network Plan Next Friday Annuar

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The cabinet is expected to decide next Friday whether to continue with its plan on a single wholesale network (SWN) for the rollout of the 5G network, according to Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa. 
Taking to Twitter yesterday, he urged all parties not to make speculate on the matter. 
"The ministry, together with the Ministry of Finance, has completed a series of 'engagements' with various parties on the rollout of the 5G network.
"The cabinet memorandum has been completed and submitted to the secretariat. It is expected to be brought on March 11 for a decision. 
"All parties are urged not to make speculation on the matter," Annuar tweeted. 
Last December, Annuar said the cabinet was still discussing whether to deploy 5G via a single wholesale network system or to have multiple systems to allow some competition.
He had said the cabinet would make a decision soon. 
Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar MusaAnnuar had said talks between Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and telecommunication companies would still go ahead with the 5G rollout via the single wholesale network concept.
DNB was established by the government in February to build and manage the 5G network.
On Dec 15 last year, Deputy Finance Minister II Yamani Hafez Musa said the estimated cost of the project was about RM12.5 billion.
However, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim urged the Finance Ministry to come clean over the actual total cost for the 5G network rollout project.
DNB chose to award the 5G network contract to Ericsson at a cost of RM11 billion after undergoing an open tender process.
DAP's Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming had claimed the initial proposal during Pakatan Harapan administration was a consortium-led model where telco companies would own the majority stake in a single entity responsible for the 5G rollout with the government holding only a minority stake in this entity.
He asked why did the Perikatan Nasional government and the Ismail Sabri Yaakob-led government adopt the SWN. 
Ong called for transparency in the project following allegations that the eventual winner of the 5G contract awarded by DNB was not the “best” bid among the list of bidders.  - Mkini

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