Ericsson showcases the possibilities with 5G at ‘Imagine Live Malaysia 2023’

• Showed energy-efficient radio solutions, digital twins, network automation
• Nation needs to foster collaboration, create ecosystem that can leverage 5G

Ericsson inaugurated its global Imagine Live event in Malaysia last week, showcasing some of its 5G use cases and technology innovations. The event was inaugurated by Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications and Digital with senior representatives from government and industry, present.

Some of the highlights of the showcase included the latest, energy-efficient radio solutions, digital twins, VoLTE enabled unified communications and network automation. In addition, the event featured 5G uses cases such as the demonstration of an immersive, holographic experience in the metaverse, which has applications in the future for immersive communications, trainings, and remote technical support.

Another exciting consumer use case was HADO, a cutting-edge augmented reality e-sports platform that originated in Japan. It combines physical activity with the immersive power of augmented reality technology to create entirely new ways of playing and competing. The event also featured discussions with leading industry experts on the enablers for Malaysia’s journey towards becoming a Digital Tiger in the region.

Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, David Hägerbro said, “At the Ericsson Imagine Live event, we are showing some of the possibilities and opportunities that 5G will create to accelerate Malaysia’s digitalization. The roll out of the 5G network in Malaysia is one of the fastest in the world, the price of 5G is one of the lowest and the network performance is among the top 5 in the world. The availability, cost, and world-class performance of 5G will serve as the catalyst for Malaysia to leapfrog other economies in the region.”

Ericsson is building Malaysia’s 5G network for Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) and is leveraging its global expertise to deliver a world-class network and user experience. 5G coverage in the county’s populated areas is currently around 68.8% and is on track to reach 80% by the end of the year.

Hägerbro stated, “Digitalization is transforming everything from the delivery of education and how we socialize to how we run our businesses. There are three key enablers to digitalization, which are compute, storage, and connectivity. This is the reason Ericsson believes that 5G connectivity is critical for the success of any enterprise today.”

Connectivity powered by 5G, he added, will be a strategic component for digitalization because it provides the necessary high performance, low latency, coverage, scalability, reliability, and security.

“In Malaysia, the connectivity to drive Industry 4.0 is already available based on the 5G network available today. The availability and coverage of 5G allows consumers and enterprises to access and use the service even in rural unconnected areas by using Fixed Wireless Access technology. 5G is also key to bridging the digital divide in the country by connecting the unconnected in Malaysia,” Hägerbro added.

Pointing out that Malaysia is amongst top 5 countries in the world and leading in Southeast Asia when it comes to download speed, according to third party reports such as OpenSignal, Hägerbro opined that Malaysia needs to foster collaboration and create an ecosystem that can leverage the digital superhighway provided by Ericsson with its 5G network.