Malaysia's Celcom Axiata has contracted Ericsson to expand and upgrade the operator's LTE network in Malaysia and lay the groundwork for an eventual 5G migration.
The operator will deploy RAN equipment from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio on its network to help meet demands for an improved user experience and help reduce the cost of network operations.
Celcom Axiata and Ericsson also signed a 5G memorandum of understanding in February last year, and three months later collaborated on Malaysia's first 5G trial, marking the first 5G trial in Southeast Asia conducted on the 28-GHz band.
The operator's CEO Mohamad Idham Nawawi said the deployment will serve as a platform to help the operator progressively evolve its network towards 5G.
“We have been at the forefront of providing our customers with the best data experience, and remain committed to evolve our network with the latest technologies. This partnership is strategic as it will not only help us further expand our LTE footprint but create the base for the launch of 5G services,” he said.
“We will continue to drive technology innovations in Malaysia to bring the latest services, and to enable all Malaysians to participate in the digital economy.”