U Mobile extends Sabah 5G reach to 2.3 million people

Amara Osei

U Mobile says its ULTRA5G network in Sabah now reaches about 2.3 million people, after the Malaysian operator expanded the footprint with fiber backhaul from CTS Horizon.

More than 545 sites across Sabah now use upgraded fiber backhaul, with capacity of up to 10 Gbps per site. U Mobile describes that ceiling as ten times the previous maximum of 1 Gbps typically used for 4G connectivity. The first number is a population reach, not a subscriber count; the second is transport capacity, not measured 5G throughput.

U Mobile did not publish consumer speed, latency or adoption data in the announcement. Those omissions matter when reading the company's claim of a larger East Malaysian presence across commercial, tourism and enterprise centers. Fiber can carry traffic; whether users see better service is a separate commercial question.

What has changed since Kota Kinabalu?

U Mobile first enabled ULTRA5G in Kota Kinabalu in August 2025. It has since extended coverage to Penampang, Tuaran, Papar and Keningau, with indoor coverage also available at Wisma Merdeka, Imago Mall and Kota Kinabalu International Airport.

A separate February 2026 update had already reported wider availability across Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Beaufort and Kudat. The latest announcement's new information is the 2.3 million population reach and the scale of the fiber backhaul behind it, rather than another long list of towns.

That distinction cuts both ways. It gives the rollout a measurable size after earlier announcements described coverage more generally. It also leaves the quality of that coverage unstated, which is not an insignificant detail in Sabah's terrain.

What is CTS Horizon contributing?

CTS Horizon, formerly known as Celcom Timur (Sabah), has delivered more than 500 leased fiber circuits across western and eastern Sabah and the federal territory of Labuan since April 2025. The companies said the infrastructure was designed around U Mobile's backhaul capacity and redundancy requirements while addressing the state's terrain and infrastructure gaps.

U Mobile appointed CTS as a fiber leasing partner for its 5G rollout in Sabah and Labuan in April 2025. The agreed work covered two fronts: upgrading existing 4G leased-circuit sites and developing additional circuits for the operator's network. The arrangement therefore links the newer 5G service to an established 4G transport footprint as well as new fiber routes.

More than 500 delivered circuits and more than 545 upgraded Sabah sites are separate operating figures. Together, they show how much transport work sits behind the stated 2.3 million-person reach, although the announcement does not map every leased circuit to a network site.

U Mobile Chief Technology Officer Woon Ooi Yuen said: “Infrastructure partnerships such as the one with CTS have helped accelerate the rollout while strengthening network capacity and reliability.” He said U Mobile would continue expanding its footprint for consumers and businesses in Sabah.

CTS Horizon Network Division Head Ryan Blantocas Tiamson said: “The collaboration combines the company’s local fiber capabilities with U Mobile’s network deployment.” U Mobile said the expanded footprint is intended to support digital adoption in commerce, tourism and enterprise.

How much commercial weight is there?

The announcement supplies a scale: roughly 2.3 million people within the claimed footprint, more than 545 fiber-backed sites and up to 10 Gbps of backhaul capacity per site. It does not supply a subscriber total, conversion rate or service-performance data, so the commercial benefit remains a target rather than a measured result.

There is still a concrete network proposition. CTS has supplied local leased fiber, U Mobile has used it to raise backhaul capacity and add redundancy, and coverage has spread beyond the original Kota Kinabalu launch. Whether that combination improves day-to-day service will depend on radio coverage, backhaul availability and user demand, none of which the announcement quantifies.

The next checkpoint is not another municipality on the map. It is whether the stated expansion turns into sustained consumer and business adoption. U Mobile says it will keep extending its Sabah footprint, but the announcement sets no further coverage, investment or deployment deadline. The fiber work is under way; the customer verdict is not yet in.