Maxis Bhd could emerge as the likely winner of the spectrum for Malaysia’s second 5G network, according to CIMB Research. The research house believes that the government may prefer a government-linked company to spearhead the rollout at Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), positioning Maxis as the leading contender.
CIMB noted that while CelcomDigi Bhd (CDB), Maxis, and U Mobile are the final contenders, Telekom Malaysia (TM) may have become ineligible following the termination of its share subscription agreement (SSA) with DNB in August. YTL Power International Bhd completed its SSA with DNB but did not submit a tender application.
CIMB expects the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to announce a sole winner, with the winning telco likely forming partnerships or lease agreements with other telcos to share the rollout costs and balance 5G traffic between DNB and Entity B.
CIMB speculates that Maxis may emerge as the winner, though a potential CDB-YTL partnership could provide a competitive counterweight to a Maxis-U Mobile collaboration. A winning telco’s stock price may see an immediate boost, while other telcos may experience a decline.
The second 5G network is expected to offer better quality of service compared to DNB, aligning more closely with the winning telco’s existing network grid for smoother transitions between 2G, 4G, and 5G networks.
CIMB also anticipates the upcoming announcement will bring an end to the single wholesale network saga, resolving regulatory uncertainties in the sector.
CIMB maintains an "overweight" call on the sector, with CDB ("buy", target price: RM4.20) and Maxis ("buy", target price: RM4.15) as its top picks. Maxis shares were trading down 1% at RM3.90 at the time of writing.
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