Celcom, Huawei collaborate to create 5G innovation hub

• An opportunity to experience the agile deployment of new 5G verticals and 5G use cases
• Hub will enable Celcom to spearhead future inspiring innovations

CELCOM Axiata Bhd on April 17 inked an agreement with Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to deploy Celcom’s own 5G Innovation Hub at the Celcom headquarters named “@celcom” in Petaling Jaya Sentral.

The collaboration between Celcom and Huawei entails the realisation of a 5G Innovation Hub at Celcom Axiata’s Centre of Excellence (CACE).

The 5G Innovation Hub will be an opportunity for business partners, technology developers, academia and industry players to experience the agile deployment of new 5G verticals and 5G use cases, maximising 5G potential and capabilities.

The hub will also enable Celcom to spearhead future inspiring innovations by testing the new 5G network performance and functionality, further benefiting vertical industries and speeding up the pace of 5G adoption in Malaysia.

The agreement was inked by Idham Nawawi, chief executive officer of Celcom Axiata and Michael Yuan, chief executive officer of Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd at @celcom on April 17.

Celcom and Huawei will also collaborate to explore end-to-end transformation of the current network, evolving towards 5G. These end-to-end transformations include:

The evolution of RAN equipment to the Next Generation New Radio (NR) Base Station.

Transport backhaul will be enhanced to carry gigabits of traffic with extremely stringent latency to cope with the demanding requirements of 5G.

The mobile core network will be upgraded into the NSA Core, equipped with Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) technology to enhance the end user experience of 5G in the near future. The core network will also be an all cloud architecture featuring massive computing power but operating with greater efficiency at the same time.  

Idham Nawawi said Celcom is excited to collaborate with Huawei in the delivery of next-generation technology that will only serve as an improvement to the livelihood of Malaysians and to the nation.

“As 5G is already knocking on our nation’s doorstep, Celcom will continue to stand alongside the nation in transforming its aspirations into reality. Through this collaboration, and with a focus on delivering some of the best innovations that will inspire the nation, we will be working towards making our building 5G ready.

“In line with the #5GMalaysia theme of ‘Progressing Humanity’, we will be seeking approval from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to begin 5G network market trials at our @celcom building in Petaling Jaya Sentral, and its surrounding areas.”

Yuan said, “We are delighted with the signing and pleased to continue our decade-old collaboration with Celcom in their digital transformation journey towards becoming a Digital Telco in the 5G era. This cooperation brings forward a practical approach as Celcom evolves towards 5G.

“We believe that this evolution brings tangible benefits in terms of superior network quality, improved network efficiency and future service innovations that will translate directly to a positive improvement in customer experience and business for Celcom.”