U Mobile has emerged as the clear leader in Malaysia’s 5G download speeds and overall download performance, strengthening its competitive position as its standalone 5G network expands, according to CIMB Securities.
Citing Opensignal’s Mobile Network Experience report for April to June 2026, CIMB said U Mobile’s 5G download speed improved to 280 Mbps, up from 227 Mbps in the August-October 2025 period.
This placed it ahead of CelcomDigi, Maxis and Unifi Mobile, which recorded speeds ranging between about 190 Mbps and 235 Mbps.
U Mobile also ranked first for overall download speed at 107 Mbps, supported by the highest 5G availability score among the operators assessed.
CIMB said U Mobile’s own 5G population coverage increased sharply from 58% at end-October 2025 to 85% in July 2026, with the telco targeting 90% coverage in FY2027 and 95% in FY2028.
The operator has also fully migrated its subscribers onto its own 5G network ahead of its exit from its wholesale access arrangement with Digital Nasional Bhd, which took effect on July 1, 2026.
Network Performance Still Mixed Across Categories
Despite U Mobile’s lead in download speeds, CIMB said the broader network picture remains more balanced.
Unifi Mobile ranked first for both overall and 5G video experience, benefiting from DNB’s 5G network and Maxis’ 4G network, while U Mobile came in second.
For gaming experience, Unifi led overall, while CelcomDigi ranked first for 5G gaming performance.
CIMB noted, however, that the performance differences among operators in these categories were relatively narrow.
Coverage remains an area where U Mobile trails its larger rivals. CelcomDigi ranked first for overall coverage experience, followed by Maxis, with a wider gap between the two market leaders and U Mobile and Unifi — a difference CIMB attributed largely to 4G coverage.
U Mobile nevertheless improved to first place for consistent quality, up from fourth previously.
U Mobile Seen Gaining Market Share
CIMB said U Mobile has not yet established an overwhelming overall network lead, particularly as DNB’s network is also expected to improve over the next 12 months.
DNB is expected to deploy an additional 100 MHz of 3.5 GHz spectrum in high-traffic areas, while network capacity should also benefit from the exit of U Mobile and Unifi from its wholesale network.
Even so, CIMB expects U Mobile’s improving network quality and pricing strategy to support continued gains of about one percentage point of revenue market share annually over the coming years.
The research house also expects U Mobile to remain supportive of rational industry pricing, given its net losses and elevated gearing.
CIMB said this could contribute to slightly stronger Malaysian mobile industry revenue growth of around 2% to 3% year-on-year in 2026 and 2027.
