Yesterday, Malaysia’s 5G rollout hit a major milestone: as of August 2025, high-speed connectivity now reaches 82.4% of populated areas nationwide, a huge leap from just 4% in 2021. This rapid expansion reflects the government’s push under the Malaysia MADANI framework to close the digital divide and ensure inclusive access to next-gen infrastructure.

What’s happening

But according to this source, coverage growth has plateaued since late 2024. Infrastructure challenges in remote and less accessible regions are making further rollout more difficult. The Deputy Minister of Communications first shared the 82.4% figure in February 2025, and it remains unchanged in MCMC’s latest update.

Despite slower expansion, user adoption is gaining momentum. As of February 2025, 53.35% of users were actively using 5G networks—a significant jump from previous years, indicating growing public confidence and demand.

What’s next

U Mobile has been developing Malaysia’s second 5G network alongside Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). The new network is targeted to reach 80% coverage by 2026, potentially boosting competition and accelerating infrastructure development. On top of that, the orange telco has been partnering with many tech companies on rolling out the Next-Gen 5G network.

If you want to read more about the new partnerships, you can check out our news column right here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.