The four states are Selangor, Perak, Terengganu and Kedah. So far tests have been carried out in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya since April.

5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology. South Korea was the first country with large-scale 5G services, with download speeds of up to 400 megabits per second.

Gobind said further expansion of 5G tests would be made according to the situation and demand from the industry and the respective states, he told reporters after a ceremony for the handing-over of the National 5G Task Force Mid-Term Report.

Gobind said the report was crucial in ensuring that Malaysia implemented 5G services by the middle of next year, with the focus on specific industries.

The Minister said the 5G Special Task Force would also give emphasis on issues pertaining to safety and health, particularly electromagnetic field emission. He hoped the full report could be obtained by year end.

Asked on the ministry’s plan to come up with the 5G policy, Gobind said at the moment, the ministry had not concluded whether there was a need for a separate policy for 5G or to revamp the existing policies.

“The Cabinet will decide, and I will take it from there,” he added.

On a separate issue, Gobind said there were plans to establish a one-stop-centre to address online scams. “The online scams are a big problem and need to be addressed urgently. There is an existing collaboration between MCMC and the police,” he added.