Maxis, UTAR forge innovative partnership to develop 5G solutions in healthcare and education  

• Both parties will explore viable opportunities for deploying, utilising 5G solutions
• Collaboration may extend to cybersecurity, green tech & smart campus solutions

Maxis, Malaysia’s leading integrated telecommunications company, and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) are collaborating to jointly develop 5G solutions by leveraging Maxis’ network infrastructure and technological capabilities alongside UTAR’s expertise as a prominent higher education institution.

In a statement, Maxis said the two organisations would explore commercially viable opportunities for deploying and utilising 5G solutions, with a focus on innovation in healthcare and education. Additionally, the partnership may extend to developing solutions in areas such as cybersecurity, green technology, and smart campus initiatives, also utilising Maxis’ robust network infrastructure.

In healthcare, potential 5G-enabled solutions include remote surgery (telesurgery), advanced telemedicine, remote consultations, and real-time health monitoring. For education, 5G solutions aim to enhance the learning experience through immersive environments and interactive content delivery. For instance, 5G-powered augmented reality (AR) applications could enable remote access to lectures while enriching the experience with multimedia content integrated into real-world settings.

The collaboration was formalised at a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony, where Prof. Dr Ewe Hong Tat, UTAR president, and Prateek Pashine, Maxis chief enterprise business officer, represented their respective organisations.

Prof. Dr Ewe remarked, “I am delighted that UTAR is collaborating with Maxis on this innovative journey to develop cutting-edge 5G solutions. This partnership aligns with UTAR’s commitment to fostering research and innovation that address critical needs in healthcare and education. By leveraging the combined strengths of academia and industry, we can co-create transformative solutions that drive technological advancements and societal progress.”

Prateek Pashine added, “Maxis is proud to collaborate with a like-minded partner like UTAR as we explore the world of possibilities enabled by 5G technology. Healthcare and education are critical fields that demand future-ready ideas, and industry-academia collaborations like this will accelerate innovation. Through Maxis Business, we aim to enable 5G solutions that transform healthcare delivery and education environments, making them more dynamic, accessible, and personalised.”

This partnership builds on previous initiatives by Maxis Business, Maxis’ B2B arm, to drive greater adoption of 5G and 5G-Advanced solutions among businesses in Malaysia. Maxis Business remains committed to being the digital business partner of choice by offering end-to-end connectivity and connectivity-plus solutions.

In 2019, UTAR selected Maxis to provide high-speed internet services to its campuses in Sungai Long and Kampar. As part of the collaboration, Maxis equipped these campuses with connectivity solutions that enabled UTAR to seamlessly scale bandwidth to meet much higher speed requirements.