The telecommunications sub-sector covers activities related to communications and multimedia (telecommunications, postal and broadcasting) regulated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

A total of RM4.98 billion investments were approved in the period of January to September 2019. The 402 telecommunications-related projects were driven by domestic sources.

The National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan, NFCP (2019 – 2023) aims to provide sustainable, comprehensive, high quality and affordable connectivity. The Government continues to encourage the involvement of people and business in developing the digital economy in Malaysia in the face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

For faster and more efficient connectivity, telecommunications players are already laying the groundwork for the fifth generation (5G) of mobile internet connectivity boasting super-fast speeds and more stable connections. 5G promises more affordable data plans, higher speed and capacity, and improved coverage that will help businesses relying on IoT and smart machines. One area set to benefit is in network slicing or Network Function Virtualisation in which business-critical systems can stay agile over mobile internet as network services are developed by software to speed up services. Other areas that can benefit from 5G include eHealth, security systems and remote investigations.