U Mobile Expands Sabah 5G Reach to 2.3 Million People

By Olivia Hart

U Mobile said its ULTRA5G network now reaches about 2.3 million people across Sabah, supported by upgraded fiber backhaul at more than 545 sites. The Malaysian operator did not publish the share of Sabah's population covered, so the population estimate does not establish a precise coverage rate.

What does the Sabah rollout cover?

U Mobile said the rollout has strengthened its presence in East Malaysia's commercial, tourism and enterprise centers. It first enabled ULTRA5G in Kota Kinabalu in August 2025, then extended coverage to Penampang, Tuaran, Papar and Keningau.

The operator also reported indoor coverage at Wisma Merdeka, Imago Mall and Kota Kinabalu International Airport. In a separate February 2026 update, U Mobile cited wider availability across Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, Beaufort and Kudat. The latest announcement adds the 2.3 million population estimate and details the fiber capacity supporting the expansion.

The disclosed milestone is broader claimed reach, without a published adoption rate.

How much fiber capacity supports 5G?

More than 545 sites across Sabah now use upgraded fiber backhaul, with capacity of up to 10 Gbps per site. U Mobile described that maximum as ten times the previous maximum of 1 Gbps typically used for 4G connectivity.

CTS Horizon, a local connectivity provider formerly known as Celcom Timur (Sabah), has delivered more than 500 leased fiber circuits across western and eastern Sabah and the federal territory of Labuan since April 2025. U Mobile and CTS Horizon said the infrastructure was designed to meet U Mobile's backhaul capacity and redundancy requirements while addressing Sabah's terrain and infrastructure gaps.

U Mobile appointed CTS Horizon as its fiber leasing partner for the 5G rollout in Sabah and Labuan in April 2025. Under that arrangement, CTS Horizon was expected to upgrade existing 4G leased-circuit sites and develop additional circuits for U Mobile's network.

The backhaul gives the 5G expansion more capacity on paper, though the announcement provides no measured speed or congestion data.

Who is building the network?

U Mobile Chief Technology Officer Woon Ooi Yuen said infrastructure partnerships such as the one with CTS “have helped accelerate the rollout while strengthening network capacity and reliability.” He also said U Mobile would continue expanding its footprint for consumers and businesses in Sabah.

CTS Horizon Network Division Head Ryan Blantocas Tiamson said: “The collaboration combines the company’s local fiber capabilities with U Mobile’s network deployment.” U Mobile said the expanded footprint is intended to support digital adoption in commerce, tourism and enterprise.

The partnership links CTS Horizon's local fiber capabilities with U Mobile's network deployment, both companies said. U Mobile and CTS Horizon did not disclose the commercial terms, project spending or a site-by-site completion schedule.

The build depends on CTS Horizon, but the announcement gives no contract price or terms.

What does the expansion change for customers?

U Mobile says the expanded footprint is intended to support digital adoption in commerce, tourism and enterprise, while extending coverage for consumers and businesses. The company has not published subscriber additions, 5G adoption, average throughput, latency, service pricing or revenue tied to the rollout.

The announcement also sets no completion date for the buildout. U Mobile has said it will keep expanding, and CTS Horizon has delivered more than 500 leased circuits, but neither claim establishes when the rollout will be complete.

For customers, the immediate evidence is a larger claimed footprint and a higher backhaul ceiling. The next test is whether U Mobile can turn a 2.3 million-person footprint into measurable 5G use; it has not said when or how it will track that conversion.