In case you didn’t know, U Mobile’s very own 5G network is now live and it’s called ULTRA5G. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil recently revealed that the second 5G network has already achieved 54.9% 5G population coverage in less than seven months, which appears to be the world’s fastest 5G rollout.
The ULTRA5G network by U Mobile offers 5G SA (Standalone) with 5G Advanced from Day 1. According to the orange telco, it is available to both prepaid and postpaid customers.
However, it appears that not all U Mobile customers will be able to enjoy the latest 5G features even if they have a compatible device and are connected to the new 5G network.
U Mobile now has “two” 5G networks
According to the official FAQ, ULTRA5G is powered by U Mobile’s next generation network, which delivers advanced 5G SA capabilities including network slicing, improved speeds, lower latency, 2x capacity and higher reliability. It also mentions that customers can connect to the ULTRA5G network if they have a supported device, within coverage of ULTRA5G and using a 5G-enabled rate plan on both prepaid and postpaid.
To recap, 5G SA essentially offers “true” 5G experience as it uses a 5G core. This should translate to lower latency and improved efficiency. At the same time, voice calls will be carried over 5G (VoNR) instead of the 4G network.
For a comparison, most 5G deployments worldwide are still based on 5G NSA (Non-Standalone), which uses 4G as an anchor. While 5G NSA is faster and cheaper to deploy, there are some drawbacks due to the reliance on a 4G core. As a result, your connection may drop from 5G to 4G when there’s an incoming voice call.
While U Mobile is building and expanding its own 5G network (ULTRA5G), it still has access to Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB)’s network for nationwide 5G coverage.
The only way to know if you’re connected to ULTRA5G is by looking at the network name displayed on your device. If it shows “U Mobile” you’re connected to DNB. However, if it shows “UM ULTRA5G“, you’re connected to U Mobile’s own network.
Only selected plans are enabled for 5G SA and 5G Advanced
But does connecting to ULTRA5G guarantee 5G SA and 5G Advanced? Well, the answer is no. U Mobile is only enabling 5G SA for users on specific plans, similar to its current 5G SA offering on DNB network.
According to the FAQ, 5G SA is only available for the following U Mobile plans:
- U Postpaid 98
- U Biz 98
- U Premium
- U Platinum
In addition, there’s also a list of supported device that will work with 5G SA which include models from Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, Realme, Honor, Xiaomi, ZTE and iQoo.
For U Mobile customers connected to the DNB network, you’ll know you’re on 5G SA when the network name is displayed as U Mobile 5G SA.
These conditions were not highlighted prominently during the launch of ULTRA5G and were not mentioned on the ULTRA5G microsite.
U Mobile should offer differentiated experience on its own network
As the second 5G provider, U Mobile should aim to provide an elevated experience for all of its customers connected to ULTRA5G. Why limit its latest and greatest 5G experience to postpaid plans valued at RM98 and above?
Since ULTRA5G is a brand new network with very little load, it would be great for U Mobile to celebrate this milestone by removing speed and data caps on its unlimited prepaid plans.
At the moment, the base U Prepaid 25 plan at RM25/month offers “unlimited” data capped at 12Mbps, along with a monthly fair usage policy (FUP) of 40GB. If you want to use hotspot and need higher speed and data quota, you’ll need to upgrade to higher plans such as U Prepaid 35, 40 and 50.
U Mobile ULTRA5G: 5G SA and 5G Advanced not available for all plans
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