U Mobile and ZTE Join Forces to Drive AI-Enhanced 5G Innovation for Malaysia’s Digital Future

24 September 2025

KUALA LUMPUR: U Mobile, Malaysia’s newest 5G network provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ZTE Corporation, a global leader in integrated information and communication technology solutions. The signing was witnessed by Teo Nie Ching, Deputy Minister of Communications; Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC); and Mano Verabathran, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Communications. The event took place at the GSMA Digital Nation Summit Kuala Lumpur (ASEAN Edition), held at The Westin, Kuala Lumpur.

Under the MoU, U Mobile and ZTE will collaborate to develop AI-enhanced 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network solutions tailored to the specific needs of industries in East Malaysia. U Mobile will utilise ZTE’s AI-enabled 5G-A technologies to address the region’s diverse geographic and environmental challenges, ensuring stable coverage and delivering reliable, high-quality services vital for business operations.

Additionally, U Mobile and ZTE will jointly develop an intelligent, 5G-enabled industrial campus framework aimed at fast-tracking industrial digitalisation. The companies will identify pilot sites across East Malaysia to trial and validate solutions incorporating AI and network slicing, facilitating smarter operations and improved efficiency. Ultimately, they seek to establish scalable, replicable models of these intelligent campuses to promote broader industry adoption throughout the region.

“U Mobile is pleased to sign this MoU with ZTE to co-develop AI-enhanced 5G-A network solutions and establish intelligent industrial campuses,” said Woon Ooi Yuen, Chief Technology Officer of U Mobile. “This partnership underscores our commitment to accelerating enterprise and industrial adoption of 5G and 5G-A. By combining our next-generation ULTRA5G connectivity with ZTE’s global expertise in AI-driven network technologies, we are laying the foundation for scalable, high-performance infrastructure that fosters industrial innovation and inclusive digital growth for East Malaysians, aligned with Malaysia’s aspiration to become a high-income, digitally-enabled nation.”

Steven Ge, Managing Director of ZTE Malaysia, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration: “As a trusted partner to U Mobile, we are dedicated to advancing AI-enhanced 5G-Advanced across East Malaysia’s diverse terrain and industries. We will bring our latest innovations—including native AI-based 5G station connectivity with Smart Antenna Algorithms and intelligent campus solutions—to deliver stable, high-quality networks for both enterprises and consumers. Together, we aim to create scalable, replicable models that accelerate industrial digitalisation and support inclusive growth in Malaysia’s digital economy.”

The MoU was signed by Woon Ooi Yuen, CTO of U Mobile, and Tey Khang Lian, Deputy Country Manager of ZTE Malaysia. Witnesses included Kenneth Chang, Deputy CEO of U Mobile, and Steven Ge, Managing Director of ZTE Malaysia.