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It is a frustrating paradox: Your phone shows that "5G" icon, yet TikTok videos will not load and emails are stuck in the outbox
In Malaysia, you are not imagining the lag. Recent data by network intelligence company Ookla confirmed that while coverage has expanded, median speeds have dropped significantly since 5G initially launched.
Here's the technical and structural breakdown of why your 5G connection might feel slow.
More Malaysians now own a 5G smartphone, causing network congestion, aka online traffic jams
When Malaysia first launched 5G via Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB), only a few people owned 5G-ready phones.
This meant "early adopters" had the entire network to themselves, resulting in speeds exceeding 450Mbps.
However, adoption has since exploded.
According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), 5G subscribers in Malaysia surged from 4.6 million in late 2023 to nearly 28.7 million by November 2025
Because Malaysia initially uses a "Single Wholesale Network" (SWN) model, almost every telecommunications company (telco) is pumping traffic through the exact same DNB infrastructure.
Like an empty highway that becomes jammed, the 5G "road" is now congested with millions of users.
This caused median speeds to drop to roughly 242.92Mbps — a nearly 50% decrease from the peak.
Also, most 5G connections in Malaysia currently operate on Non-Standalone (NSA) architecture.
Your smartphone uses 5G for data but still relies on a 4G "anchor" for control signals
If the underlying 4G tower is congested or weak, 5G performance is throttled.
The "5G" icon appears because the phone is connected to the frequency, but data is bottlenecked by the 4G infrastructure it piggybacks on.
5G in Malaysia primarily uses the 3.5GHz spectrum. While this allows high speeds, high-frequency waves struggle to pass through concrete walls, tinted glass, and even heavy rain.
A 5G signal may appear near a window, but speeds plummet as users move deeper into a mall or office.
An Ookla report found that Malaysian 5G users still spend about 66% of their time on 4G networks because indoor coverage remains patchy.
Malaysia is currently in a transition from a DNB 'monopoly' to a dual-network model
Telecommunications companies like CelcomDigi and Maxis completed their acquisition of DNB shares on 6 March 2026.
U Mobile is currently rolling out the country's second 5G network and plans to cover 80% of the population, according to The Edge Malaysia.
This reshuffling of infrastructure can lead to temporary stability issues and "handover" lag as phones switch between different providers.
There are four workarounds for you to improve your 5G connection:
- Toggle "5G on and off": Sometimes a phone "hangs" on a weak 5G signal.
- Switch to airplane mode: Switching to airplane mode for five seconds forces a reconnection to the strongest available tower.
- Check Access Point Name (APN) settings: Ensure settings are updated to the latest 5G configurations.
- Use a speed test app: Apps like Ookla or Meteor by Opensignal can help check if the slowness is just one app or the whole connection.
