Malaysian operator Maxis says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) to collaborate on driving adoption of 5G in the domestic retail sector.
Under the MoU announded on Tuesday, retailers will explore ways to leverage 5G and cloud connectivity to support digital solutions such as retail analytics, AI-powered computer vision, managed network services, XR experiences and supply chain enhancements to improve retail customer experience and increase operational efficiency.
Maxis will also host regular workshops with MRCA members to boost their knowledge of digital technologies, automation, 5G and IoT.
The MCRA represents over 560 Malaysian retailers, including 7-Eleven, KK Super Mart, OSIM, RHB Bank, Secret Recipe and Marrybrown, among others. Maxis is also a member.
“Our collaboration with Maxis complements our own digital transformation programme and provides a platform for retail owners and stakeholders – including more than 40,000 member outlets around the country – to try out new technology and connectivity solutions,” said MRCA president Ken Phua.
Maxis chief enterprise business officer Prateek Pashine added, “We look forward to driving deeper engagements with MRCA members to develop use cases across 5G connectivity, managed network services, and beyond.”
The deal is the latest move by Maxis to target the enterprise space with 5G offerings.
In August, the telco partnered with Singtel to launch an all-in-one platform bundling 5G, edge computing, cloud and services orchestration that it says will enable vertical enterprises to incorporate 5G into their digital transformation strategies.
The same month, Maxis signed a MoU with China Mobile International (CMI) to collaborate on exploring and developing private 5G applications and solutions for enterprises.
Maxis is also one of three telcos competing for the rights to develop and operate Malaysia’s second 5G network, alongside CelcomDigi and U Mobile. According to media reports, a decision could be made sometime this month. RHB Research and CIMB Securities issued statements in September rating Maxis as the likely front-runner for the second network, should the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) decide to choose only one telco.