DNB and MRT Corp to bring indoor 5G to the RTS Link complex in Johor Bahru

Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Malaysia Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to bring indoor 5G to the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security Complex (ICQC) of the RTS Link in Johor Bahru. U Mobile signed a separate MoU with MRT Corp on 23 October for 4G and 5G coverage in the same building.

What DNB and MRT Corp signed

DNB chief executive Datuk Azman Ismail and MRT Corp chief executive Datuk Mohd Zarif Hashim exchanged the MoU on 20 October at Transport Expo Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, with Transport Minister Anthony Loke and MCMC chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din as witnesses.

In a joint statement reported by The Star, the two companies said the partnership would give 5G coverage throughout the complex and support services such as ticketing, navigation, communications and mobile transactions. Mohd Zarif said it was part of the preparations for passenger operations on the RTS Link.

You will still need a telco plan

Azman made clear to reporters, as Malay Mail reported, that this is 5G connectivity and not free Wi-Fi. DNB is a wholesale company, so passengers connect through the package of their own telco. "We provide that to telecommunications (telco). So individuals have to sign up with the telco," he said.

DNB will also talk to counterparts in Singapore about arrangements, including roaming, so that connectivity stays smooth as passengers cross between the two countries.

Who owns what

MRT Corp, through its subsidiary Malaysia Rapid Transit System Sdn Bhd, develops and owns the Malaysian side of the RTS Link, including the in-building telecommunications facilities at the Bukit Chagar complex. As a licensed network facilities provider, it plans to earn non-fare revenue by leasing telecommunications infrastructure and space to mobile network operators.

That is where U Mobile comes in. According to The Star, on 23 October U Mobile signed an MoU with MRT Corp to explore 4G and 5G in-building coverage at the complex, by connecting its network to MRT Corp's existing in-building infrastructure. The parties said the complex is expected to serve about 40,000 passengers a day once the RTS Link opens, as well as about 600 government agency personnel based there.

What is still open

The U Mobile arrangement is subject to a definitive agreement, technical requirements and regulatory approvals, the parties said. The reports do not say when coverage will switch on, which other telcos will take space in the complex, or what roaming between Malaysia and Singapore will cost. The companies also said the DNB partnership will serve as a framework for indoor 5G at other busy places such as transport hubs and public venues.

If you plan to cross the border by RTS Link, check your telco's roaming terms, since the plan you sign up to decides what you can use at the station.

Sources

• The Star, DNB, MRT Corp partner to provide indoor 5G coverage at RTS Link complex, 20 October 2026
• Malay Mail, DNB, MRT Corp team up to bring 5G to Johor-Singapore RTS Link, 20 October 2026
• The Star, U Mobile, MRT Corp ink MoU to provide 5G coverage at RTS Link complex, 23 October 2026