Malaysian 5G network operator Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) says it has struck a partnership with e-commerce firm Shopee that aims to encourage micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other sellers on Shopee’s platform to adopt 5G.
Under the partnership, DNB’s five telco investors – Telekom Malaysia, Maxis, U Mobile, YTL and CelcomDigi’s Infranation – will create 5G packages for local sellers on Shopee that enable them to do HD livestream marketing via the ‘Shopee Live’ platform. Shopee currently has around 2 million local sellers on its platform in Malaysia.
According to DNB COO Nasution Mohamed, sellers will be able to improve the customer’s shopping experience with 5G-powered livestreaming.
“Our 5G network’s performance and reliability provides retail MSME sellers with the mobility to engage their audiences seamlessly, through high-definition video streaming, enhancing their customers’ buying experience,” he said.
Shopee Malaysia CMO Tan Ming Kit added that as extra incentive, sellers who sign up for 5G packages can earn RM110,000 (US$23,289) worth of Shopee coins.
The Shopee partnership with DNB comes amid the Malaysian government’s general push to encourage enterprises of all stripes – but especially MSMEs – to adopt 5G, either through packages with operators or private 5G deployments.
According to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo, there are currently over 1.17 million MSMEs in Malaysia, accounting for 97.4% of the total number of businesses in the country. MSMEs also contribute 38.4% of the nation’s GDP (RM580 billion) and employ 7.59 million workers, he said.
“The Ministry of Digital was set up to drive the government’s vision to increase economic prosperity via digitalisation, through collaborative programmes with all the players in the ecosystem,” he said. “Partnerships like [DNB and Shopee] are key to catalyse the digital adoption, and I hope to see more.”
DNB said that as of April 30, its 5G network covered 81.5% of populated areas, and has signed on 13.2 million 5G service subscribers, which works out to an adoption rate of 39.2%.