Malaysian operator U Mobile and ZTE have completed a proof-of-concept deployment of a portable 5G site powered entirely by solar energy, achieving peak download speeds of 134 Mbps at two rural locations in East Malaysia without any connection to the national power grid or terrestrial fibre.

The partners announced the results on Tuesday. The pilot sites—a 12-metre lightweight pole structure replacing a conventional telecoms tower—were installed at SK Mentu, a primary school in Sebuyau, Sarawak, and Balai Kebudayaan Iburu, a community hall in Sipitang, Sabah. Both sites carried live 4G and 5G traffic over satellite backhaul connected directly to U Mobile's core network.

The power design relies on high-efficiency solar panels plus a battery backup system that can keep the site running for up to 52 hours without sunlight, depending on configuration. That autonomy matters in Borneo's interior, where grid electricity and fibre infrastructure are sparse and conventional tower builds are slow and costly.

Three-day installation

U Mobile CTO Woon Ooi Yuen said the PoC showed the site can be installed and fully activated in challenging rural locations within three days, because it does not depend on traditional telecoms towers, fibre backhaul or reliable grid power.

"This proof-of-concept demonstrates how a 100% green-energy, off-grid site can be deployed rapidly while still delivering reliable 4G and 5G connectivity," he said in a statement.

The throughput figures come from live testing at both locations. The operators did not disclose how sustained performance compared with the 134 Mbps peak, nor the capacity of the battery systems, so the commercial economics of the solution remain unproven beyond the pilot stage.

Use beyond rural coverage

U Mobile said the same architecture could serve emergency and disaster response, restoring connectivity where existing infrastructure has been disrupted—relevant in a country that experiences seasonal flooding, though the operator cited the application in general terms rather than a specific deployment plan.

For U Mobile, the trial feeds into a broader coverage challenge. As Malaysia's second 5G network operator, it is working to extend service beyond densely populated peninsular areas, where off-grid power and backhaul constraints have historically made rural site economics difficult. Solar-powered sites with satellite backhaul offer a way to reach schools, community halls and villages without waiting for grid or fibre extensions.

The companies described the pilot as a proof of concept rather than a commercial rollout, and neither gave a timeline for wider deployment, subscriber targets or per-site costs.

If the solution scales, it points toward rapid-deployment coverage for Malaysia's remoter regions, with U Mobile and ZTE positioning further trials and eventual commercialisation as the next step.