The latest telecom news includes announcements on U Mobile, Kyivstar, 5G Pilot to Kyiv, Uztelecom, and others.
U Mobile Expands 5G Coverage to Malaysian Border Complex Serving 40,000 Daily Passengers
Malaysia’s U Mobile has signed an agreement with MRT Corp to explore providing 4G and 5G indoor network coverage at the Bukit Chagar Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex in Johor Bahru. The facility forms part of the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, which is expected to handle approximately 40,000 passengers daily and accommodate around 600 government personnel. U Mobile will explore integrating its mobile network with existing indoor infrastructure to support passenger communications, digital immigration services and future AI-enabled building operations. The operator already provides indoor 5G coverage at more than 250 locations nationwide. Its ULTRA5G network has also reached approximately 90 percent population coverage, more than nine months ahead of its original target. The proposed deployment remains subject to technical evaluation, final agreements and regulatory approvals.
Kyivstar Expands 5G Pilot to Kyiv, Reports 724,000 Users and Peak Speeds of 1.7 Gbps
Ukraine’s Kyivstar has expanded its 5G pilot network to Kyiv, making the capital its fourth testing location after Lviv, Borodyanka and Kharkiv. More than 724,000 subscribers have accessed the operator’s pilot 5G network, generating over 755 TB of mobile data traffic. Average download speeds range from 600 Mbps to 700 Mbps, while peak speeds reach 1.5–1.7 Gbps. Approximately 40 percent of devices connected to Kyivstar’s network support 5G technology, indicating significant potential for future adoption. The operator’s existing 4G infrastructure covers more than 96 percent of Ukraine’s population. Kyivstar reported approximately 22 million mobile subscribers and more than 1.2 million fixed-line subscribers in March 2026. The trials will support network planning, spectrum evaluation and future commercial 5G deployment.
Uztelecom Modernizes 1,566 Base Stations, Adds 380 Sites and Expands 5G Across Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s Uztelecom has modernized 1,566 existing base stations and commissioned 380 new sites under its 2025–2026 mobile network development programme. The operator exceeded its original modernization target of 1,507 stations by 59 sites, achieving 104 percent completion as of October 18, 2026. It also completed 442 frequency additions to improve mobile capacity and network performance. Uztelecom reported 375 5G-enabled stations across Uzbekistan’s 14 administrative regions, including 189 in Tashkent city and 84 in Samarkand. Tashkent city recorded 194 modernized stations, while Tashkent region received 189 upgrades. Samarkand led new infrastructure deployment with 62 sites, followed by Tashkent city and Kashkadarya with 52 each. The programme aims to improve network reliability, expand mobile broadband availability and accommodate growing data consumption.
