Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) activated new 3.3–3.4 GHz spectrum on October 1, doubling its Malaysian 5G network capacity and opening the door to 5G-Advanced and AI-driven capabilities, backed by RM5.2 billion in financing. Yet the country's next 5G challenge is not capacity or coverage, but trust, according to analyst Jamil Ghani.

DNB passed 80% coverage of populated areas in July. Malaysia's second 5G network, operated by U Mobile, reached 90% coverage of populated areas on October 7. With rollout milestones largely met, the debate is shifting from access to adoption — particularly by enterprises and critical infrastructure operators.

What does 'trust' mean for a 5G network?

Jamil Ghani, a PhD researcher at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said Malaysia already has the basic infrastructure needed for advanced applications such as network slicing, private 5G and industrial use across factories, ports and hospitals. The obstacle is that these use cases demand more than conventional cybersecurity.

"Cybersecurity is central, but trust should also cover supply-chain security, vendor dependency, software continuity, data governance and the ability to maintain services during major cyber or geopolitical disruptions," Ghani said. "The goal should be to make 5G trusted economic infrastructure, not simply fast telecommunications infrastructure."

He said multinational companies weigh a network against procurement rules, cybersecurity requirements, data governance and regulatory obligations across jurisdictions. They also assess whether sanctions, export controls or supply-chain disruptions could cut off access to equipment, software or technical support.

"So trust increasingly means predictability and optionality — confidence that geopolitical tensions elsewhere will not suddenly create operational or compliance problems in Malaysia," Ghani said.

Why do two networks matter?

Malaysia runs two parallel 5G networks built on different technology ecosystems. DNB's network uses Ericsson technology, while U Mobile's second network relies on Huawei and ZTE. Ghani said maintaining that diversity itself builds trust, echoing a recent Frost and Sullivan report.

"There is strategic value in maintaining genuinely different technology options, although I would avoid framing it simply as East versus West," he said. "Malaysia's advantage is optionality rather than bloc alignment."

In practice, he added, this means giving businesses access to different technology ecosystems without the country choosing sides.

Ghani dismissed the idea that two distinct ecosystems necessarily duplicate infrastructure. The distinction matters at the active layers:

• radio network
• core-network pathway
• network management
• security architecture
• software lifecycle

Passive infrastructure — towers, ducts and some fibre — can still be shared. "The objective is genuine technological choice, not unnecessary duplication," he said.

What are the risks of vendor convergence?

Two independently operated networks bring competition and industry-level resilience, Ghani argued. But he warned that technological convergence between them would erode diversification.

"If both networks became heavily dependent on the same supplier ecosystem, Malaysia could become more exposed to common vendor-specific risks such as software vulnerabilities, supply disruptions or export restrictions," he said.

His prescription is to preserve diversity at the critical active layers while maintaining interoperability and cost efficiency across the market.

"That, to me, is strategic autonomy: preserving Malaysia's ability to choose and adapt," Ghani said.

The comments land as DNB enters its next development phase with fresh spectrum and financing in place, and as U Mobile's coverage milestone puts both national networks firmly in enterprise-adoption territory — where procurement teams, not consumers, will decide whether Malaysia's dual-ecosystem bet pays off.