5G Malaysia 2026: Coverage, Users and What It Means for Ads

2. 5G Malaysia 2026: Key Figures at a Glance

Quick Answer: 5G in Malaysia had 28.7 million subscriptions by November 2025, and penetration stood at 82.7 per 100 people in mid-2025. DNB’s network covers over 80% of populated areas, and U Mobile’s own network reached 90% in October 2026. Median 5G download speed was 242.92 Mbps in Q3 2025, down from 451.79 Mbps in late 2023.

The subscription, speed and state figures are from Techwire Asia’s 2025 review of Malaysian 5G, which cites MCMC, Ookla and government data. The penetration and site counts come from the minister’s August 2025 answer, reported by Bernama. Three notes help you read the 5G Malaysia figures:

• Subscriptions are not people. One person can hold more than one 5G line, so 28.7 million subscriptions means fewer unique users.
• Coverage means populated areas. “Coverage of populated areas” counts where people live, not land area, and it measures outdoor signal, not indoor.
• No 2026 subscriber total yet. The latest official count is November 2025. Coverage figures run to October 2026. For the wider picture, see our digital marketing statistics for Malaysia.

3. How Many 5G Users Are There in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: Malaysia had 28.7 million 5G subscriptions in November 2025, according to MCMC figures. That is more than eleven times the 2.49 million recorded in September 2023. Adoption jumped once telcos began switching eligible customers to 5G automatically, passing 53% by the end of 2024 and 82.7 per 100 people by mid-2025.

The starting point comes from the minister’s October 2023 reply, covered by The Edge. The January 2024 jump is from a Malay Mail report, and the end-2024 count of 18.19 million is from Bernama. Three things drove the growth in 5G Malaysia subscriptions:

• Automatic upgrades. Telcos moved eligible postpaid and prepaid users to 5G without a new plan, so adoption tripled in a few months.
• Cheaper 5G phones. Entry-level Android phones now ship with 5G, which our smartphone users in Malaysia report tracks.
• Bundled data. Unlimited and large-quota plans made 5G the default rather than an add-on.

The take-up was so fast that RCR Wireless reported the minister describing a climb from about 15% to almost 36% in five to six months.

4. How Much of Malaysia Has 5G Coverage?

Quick Answer: DNB’s 5G network has covered over 80% of populated areas since December 2023, at 82.4% with 7,489 sites by mid-2025. U Mobile’s separate network went from launch in July 2025 to 90% of populated areas by 7 October 2026. Coverage in Sabah and Sarawak still lags, at 68.6% and 62% in mid-2025.

U Mobile’s milestones are from Techwire Asia’s July 2026 report on its exit from DNB. The October 2026 figures, including DNB’s new spectrum and RM5.2 billion in financing, are from Free Malaysia Today. What the 5G Malaysia coverage data means for planners:

• Selangor is well covered. The state passed 95% coverage before the end of 2023, so city campaigns can assume 5G is common.
• East Malaysia is patchier. With Sarawak at 62% and Sabah at 68.6%, a share of your audience there still browses on 4G. Our internet access by state data shows the urban-rural gap in more detail.
• The 2030 goal is higher. The government targets 98% coverage of populated and industrial areas by 2030, per Techwire Asia.

5. How Fast Is 5G in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: Fast, but slower than it was. Ookla measured a median 5G download speed of 242.92 Mbps in Q3 2025, down 46% from 451.79 Mbps in Q4 2023 as the single network filled up. Opensignal’s November 2025 report put the fastest operators, U Mobile and Unifi, at 226.6 to 229.5 Mbps on 5G.

The Ookla trend is summarised in Techwire Asia’s analysis, which links the 5G Malaysia slowdown to one shared network carrying a six-fold jump in users. The operator results are from Opensignal’s November 2025 Malaysia report, and the all-network median is from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 Malaysia.

For marketers, even the slower 2025 figure is far more than a phone needs to stream HD video ads. The real bottleneck is usually the website. A page weighed down with uncompressed images still feels slow on 5G, which is why sites that load slowly on mobile keep losing visitors. Our sibling report on mobile data usage in Malaysia shows how much data people now burn each month.

6. Are Malaysians Actually Using 5G?

Quick Answer: Less than the subscription numbers suggest. In Q3 2025, 80% of phones tested by Ookla were 5G-capable, yet users spent only 29.8% of their connected time on 5G. Even on the best network, U Mobile, Opensignal found 5G users had a 5G connection 57.8% of the time. The rest of the time they were on 4G.

Opensignal notes that its revised 5G Availability metric counts the time 5G users had a 5G connection, whether or not they used it. U Mobile led by six percentage points over Maxis. Why does the 5G Malaysia data show a gap between “has 5G” and “is on 5G”?

• Indoor signal is weaker. 5G at 3.5 GHz does not pass through walls as well as 4G, so offices, malls and homes often fall back to 4G.
• Coverage is outdoor-first. Populated-area coverage is measured outdoors, which overstates what users get inside buildings.
• Phones switch to save power. Many handsets drop to 4G when the 5G signal is marginal.

For context on the devices behind these numbers, see our iPhone vs Android market share in Malaysia.

7. Which 5G Network Does Each Telco Use in Malaysia?

Quick Answer: Malaysia now has two 5G networks. DNB, built with Ericsson and owned by CelcomDigi, Maxis and YTL Power after the government sold its stake, carries most other operators’ 5G traffic. U Mobile runs its own ULTRA5G network, built with Huawei and ZTE, and moved all its customers off DNB from 1 July 2026.

Ownership details are from RCR Wireless’s March 2026 report on the telcos taking full control of DNB. In October 2026, DNB also switched on an extra 3.3–3.4 GHz band that roughly doubles its capacity, per FMT. For advertisers, this split in the 5G Malaysia rollout matters in two ways:

• Speeds now vary by telco. Two networks mean your customers’ experience depends on their SIM, so test landing pages on more than one operator. Our mobile-friendly website checklist covers what to check.
• Capacity is rising. More spectrum and a second network should ease the congestion that pulled speeds down in 2024 and 2025.

8. What 5G in Malaysia Means for Your Ads and Website

Quick Answer: 5G in Malaysia makes mobile video the default ad format, but it does not fix slow websites. Lead with short vertical video, keep landing pages light enough for 4G, adjust creative for weaker-coverage states, budget for richer formats and measure results by device and network. Your website is the part you control.

Here is the six-step plan we use with clients who want to make the most of 5G in Malaysia:

1. Lead with short vertical video. Faster networks have made video the main way Malaysians browse. Use YouTube Shorts, Reels and TikTok, guided by our YouTube users in Malaysia and TikTok users in Malaysia reports.
2. Add video to marketplace and channel ads. Shoppers expect video on product listings. Compare budgets with our Shopee Ads cost guide and Lazada Ads rates, and see whether Telegram Ads in Malaysia fits your audience.
3. Keep landing pages 4G-proof. Compress images, cut heavy scripts and pass Google’s speed checks. Our guide to Core Web Vitals explains what to aim for.
4. Adjust by location. In Sabah, Sarawak and rural areas, use lighter creative and shorter videos, and check results by state in your ad reports.
5. Budget for richer formats. Video and Performance Max campaigns can spend fast. If your campaign keeps showing Google Ads limited by budget, narrow targeting before adding spend.
6. Measure by device. Split results by mobile and desktop. Our mobile vs desktop traffic data and search engine market share in Malaysia help you set the right benchmarks.

Speed is a design job as much as a network one. Our web design team builds mobile-first sites, and our website speed optimisation service fixes slow ones. We pair them with Meta Ads and Google Ads so 5G video traffic lands on pages that convert.

9. Conclusion

Quick Answer: 5G in Malaysia grew to 28.7 million subscriptions by November 2025, and two networks now cover most populated areas. Speeds dipped as users surged, East Malaysia still lags, and users spend most of their time on 4G. For businesses, that means video-first ads backed by fast, light websites.

The 5G Malaysia data points one way for business owners. Your customers have 5G plans and 5G phones, and they expect video. But they are often on 4G, often indoors and sometimes where 5G has not arrived yet. So plan your ads for the fast case and build your website for the slow one.

If you want a website that loads fast on any Malaysian network, our web design services team can plan it with you.

10. Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many 5G users are there in Malaysia?

Malaysia had 28.7 million 5G subscriptions in November 2025, the latest official count, according to MCMC figures. In mid-2025 the Communications Minister put 5G penetration at 82.7 per 100 people. One person can hold several lines, so unique users are fewer.

2. What is 5G coverage in Malaysia in 2026?

DNB’s 5G network has covered over 80% of populated areas since December 2023, at 82.4% by mid-2025. U Mobile’s own 5G network reached 90% of populated areas on 7 October 2026. Coverage in Sabah and Sarawak was lower, at 68.6% and 62% in mid-2025.

3. How fast is 5G in Malaysia?

Ookla measured a median 5G download speed of 242.92 Mbps in Q3 2025, down from 451.79 Mbps in Q4 2023. Opensignal’s November 2025 report put U Mobile and Unifi joint fastest at 226.6 to 229.5 Mbps. Both are far above what HD video needs.

4. Why does Malaysia have two 5G networks?

The government moved from a single wholesale network run by DNB to a dual-network model to add competition and avoid one point of failure. U Mobile was chosen to build the second network, which began operating in July 2025. DNB is now owned by CelcomDigi, Maxis and YTL Power.

5. Does 5G make my website faster for customers?

Only partly. 5G speeds up the connection, but a heavy page with large images and slow scripts still loads slowly. Users also spend most of their time on 4G, so keep landing pages light, pass Core Web Vitals and test on both 4G and 5G.