The partnership will help U Mobile deliver substantial network performance upgrades using ZTE’s proprietary Pre5G technologies including Massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output). The MOU, signed in Shenzhen by Too Tian Jen, Chief Technology Officer of U Mobile, and Steven Ge, Managing Director of ZTE Malaysia, also covers collaboration between the two companies on research and development of 5G technologies, in addition to Pre5G.

“U Mobile is constantly exploring new technology that will provide best in class user experience to our customers,” Mr. Too said. “We see 5G technology as the technology that would support the ever increasing communication needs of the future. The collaboration with ZTE will also support our government’s vision of being a Smart Digital Nation by 2020.”

“ZTE is delighted to work on 5G technologies with U Mobile, the leader in network innovations in Malaysia. ZTE is making major investments in 5G to lead the industry in the research and standardization of this key technology of the future,” said Mr. Ge.

Being known as the data-centric telco, 70% of U Mobile subscribers are smartphone users. Looking at the recent consumer behavior study in early 2015, the Malaysian public spends an average of 3 hours and 39 minutes browsing the Internet for work, information, searching and entertainment, which is ranked the highest in the South East Asia region.

ZTE’s collaboration on Pre5G research with U Mobile follows the announcements of similar partners with SoftBank Corporation in Japan, and KT Corporation in Korea.