The Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQC) Complex in Johor Bahru will implement indoor 5G connection in a formal strategic agreement between Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp).
According to DNB CEO Datuk Azman Ismail, preparatory work will involve talks with Singaporean counterparts about arrangements, including roaming, to facilitate a smooth connectivity experience for travellers between the two nations.
“We need to have a conversation with our counterparts in Singapore to make sure that it’s a seamless experience for the passengers on the train as we move from Johor Bahru to Singapore and vice versa,” Bernama reported him saying after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange during Transport Expo Asia (TXA) 2026.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke and Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), were present when Azman and MRT Corp CEO Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here.
Azman explained that the effort used 5G connectivity instead of Wi-Fi, and that travellers would use the packages offered by their individual telecom companies to access services.
“We will provide connectivity. We are a wholesale company, so we provide that to telecommunications (telco). Individuals have to sign up with the telco,” he added that the preparatory work to promote cross-border connectivity will include agreements with colleagues in Singapore.
The agreement will enable indoor 5G coverage throughout the RTS Link ICQC complex to allow digital ticketing, navigation, communications, and mobile transactions, according to an MRT statement released in connection with the ceremony.
Through its subsidiary, Malaysia Rapid Transit System Sdn Bhd (MRTS), MRT Corp is responsible for developing and owning the Malaysian infrastructure for the RTS Link, including the in-building telecommunications infrastructure at the Bukit Chagar ICQC.
MRT Corp intends to commercialise the facilities through infrastructure leasing and the rental of telecommunications space to mobile network operators as part of its strategy to generate sustainable non-fare revenue.
The partnership also establishes a framework for future indoor connectivity deployments at high-traffic locations, drawing on DNB’s nationwide 5G infrastructure and collaboration with its mobile network operator shareholders.
