Communications Ministry to announce added features for 5G

The Ministry of Communications and Digital is expected to announce the introduction and implementation of 5G by Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) with added features by the end of March.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said DNB is currently studying and evaluating the available options to ensure the implementation will not just achieve an 80 percent success but will be expanded throughout the country.

"We want to make sure there will be no negative effect on the nation’s finance and we hope by 2025, there will be at least 80 percent coverage in populated areas," Fahmi (above) said when appearing on the Ruang Bicara programme to speak on the title of ‘Enhancing Digital' which was broadcast by Bernama TV through Channel 502 in Kuala Lumpur last night.

He said the implementation of the 5G was to assist companies and factories to gain efficient and fast communication services because fast and efficient services can help improve productivity as well as offer efficient service to the public.

"I have seen how 5G is being used by local governments to assist in issues of traffic, since data reaches the centre that manages the administration of traffic lights more efficiently and we can monitor the condition of the entire city in real-time.

“The 5G offers added benefits, especially to factories, oil rigs (to communicate faster and more efficiently and to send big volumes of data, machine learning, as well as carry out Internet of Things (IoT), plus the Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0),” he said.

Meanwhile, referring to issues of personal security and online scams, Fahmi said his ministry aspires to turn the Personal Data Protection Department into a statutory department to carry out its functions more efficiently.

Personal Data Protection Department

He said the agency under the ministry will become among the important departments that need to be strengthened to serve more effectively in issues of personal data leakage.

“For example, if I issue a cash cheque, the bank will call for confirmation… that is the process, the same process applies for the security of personal data, and the government agency related to personal data must automatically inform the leakage of personal data. This aspect is being studied,” he said.

On the issue of security for personal data and handling the issue of scammers, Fahmi said the current laws need to be enhanced and the structure or policy, because currently, at least four ministries are responsible for this issue.

Apart from the above issues, the Communications Ministry will also look at improving the current laws and aspire to upgrade the standard of the CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM) agency as the Malaysian Cyber Security Commission.

This is because CSM has expertise in cyber security and its services have been regarded as the best in the Asia Pacific region for digital forensics.

"We must work on forming a commission so that (CSM) can be given the powers to carry out investigations and has enough provisions of the law to carry out enforcement procedures," Fahmi added.

- Bernama