BUTTERWORTH, Oct 17 — The Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will study expanding telecommunications coverage targets, particularly for 5G, to include key economic areas such as ports, rail lines and highways.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the current Coverage of Populated Area (CoPA) metric should be reviewed to account for connectivity needs in areas with few or no residents but significant economic activity.

“CoPA is frequently used by telecommunications companies and international bodies to refer to connectivity in populated areas. However, when we talk about 5G access, areas such as ports have no residents but are hubs for significant economic activities,” he said.