In a region where borders have long meant a downgrade in connectivity, Maxis has quietly redrawn the map for Malaysian travelers. By becoming the first Malaysian telco to extend 5G roaming into Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia — at no extra cost beyond existing 4G rates — the company signals that high-speed mobile access is beginning to follow people rather than confine them. It is a modest but meaningful step in the longer human project of making distance feel smaller.
Maxis launches 5G roaming across Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia
5G roaming charged at existing 4G rates, no extra fees
Mark
Why does it matter that Maxis is first? Aren't other carriers going to follow quickly?
Mimi
Being first gives Maxis a competitive advantage in a market where travelers increasingly expect seamless connectivity. It signals to customers that the company is ahead on infrastructure and partnerships.
Luke
But we should note—this is Maxis's claim to be first. We don't have independent verification that no other Malaysian carrier had already launched 5G roaming.
Mark
The pricing is interesting—they're not charging extra for 5G. Is that sustainable?
Mimi
It's a smart move. By bundling 5G into existing 4G roaming rates, they remove a barrier to adoption and make the service feel like an upgrade rather than a premium add-on.
Luke
True, but we don't know their cost structure with these roaming partners. Whether this pricing is sustainable long-term depends on negotiations with Singtel, AIS, and Telkomsel—information we don't have.
Mark
What about the automatic activation? Does that create any risk for customers?
Mimi
It's convenient, but yes—customers could rack up roaming charges if they're not careful. Though Maxis does give them control through the app and dial codes.
Luke
The source doesn't explain what happens if a customer doesn't want to roam, or what the default behavior is if they don't subscribe to a plan. That's a gap.
Mark
The expansion to other countries by year-end—is that ambitious?
Mimi
It suggests Maxis has momentum with these partnerships and sees demand. Three countries in one launch, then more by December, shows they're moving fast.
Luke
But "popular destinations" is vague. We don't know which countries they're targeting, what the timeline actually is, or whether they'll meet that deadline. It's a forward-looking statement with no specifics.
El Pulso
- Malaysian travelers have long faced a frustrating drop in mobile performance the moment they cross a border — Maxis is now closing that gap with live 5G roaming in three neighboring countries.
- The service activates automatically on 5G-enabled devices, removing the friction of manual setup and making seamless connectivity a quiet background fact rather than a deliberate act.
- By charging 5G roaming at existing 4G rates, Maxis eliminates the premium pricing that has historically made fast international data a luxury rather than a standard.
- Partnerships with Singtel, AIS, and Telkomsel give the service immediate regional credibility, with more destinations expected before the close of 2021.
In a region where borders have long meant a downgrade in connectivity, Maxis has quietly redrawn the map for Malaysian travelers. By becoming the first Malaysian telco to extend 5G roaming into Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia — at no extra cost beyond existing 4G rates — the company signals that high-speed mobile access is beginning to follow people rather than confine them. It is a modest but meaningful step in the longer human project of making distance feel smaller.
Maxis has claimed a regional first, becoming the only Malaysian telecommunications company to offer 5G roaming abroad — launching the capability across Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia in October 2021. For customers arriving in any of these three countries, the transition is designed to be invisible: 5G-enabled devices connect automatically to local carrier partners, with Singtel, AIS, and Telkomsel handling the respective networks.
What makes the launch particularly notable is its pricing logic. Rather than attaching a premium to 5G speeds, Maxis folds the service into existing 4G roaming packages, meaning travelers gain faster connectivity without paying more for it. Maxis customers can manage plans through the app, while Hotlink users can activate roaming via a dial code or automatic subscription.
CEO Gokhan Ogut framed the milestone as a fulfillment of the company's core promise — keeping customers connected wherever they go — and the company has indicated that further destinations are already in the pipeline before year's end. For the business traveler or holidaymaker crossing Malaysia's borders, the gap between home network and roaming network has, for the first time, begun to meaningfully close.
Maxis has become the first Malaysian telecommunications company to offer its customers 5G connectivity while traveling abroad, launching the service across three Southeast Asian neighbors: Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia. The move, announced in October 2021, represents a significant step in making high-speed mobile networks accessible beyond home borders.
When Maxis or Hotlink customers arrive in Singapore, Thailand, or Indonesia, their 5G-enabled devices will automatically connect to local partners—Singtel in Singapore, AIS in Thailand, and Telkomsel in Indonesia. The connection activates without requiring manual setup, though customers can manage their roaming preferences through the Maxis app or, for Hotlink users, through a simple dial code.
The pricing structure removes a common friction point in international roaming. Rather than charging premium rates for 5G access, Maxis applies its existing 4G roaming packages to 5G usage, meaning travelers pay no additional fees for the faster speeds and lower latency that 5G provides. Maxis customers can subscribe to a preferred roaming plan through the Maxis app by clicking the roaming banner. Hotlink customers have two options: they can enable data roaming to automatically subscribe to a Data Roam Pass, or they can manually select a plan by dialing *100#, navigating to international roaming, choosing their destination, and selecting from available passes.
Gokhan Ogut, Maxis's chief executive, framed the launch as fulfilling the company's commitment to keeping customers connected wherever they travel. He described it as reaching an important milestone with roaming partners and emphasized the company's focus on delivering what it calls the "incredible speeds and latency of 5G" to travelers across the region.
The company is not stopping at these three countries. Maxis has signaled plans to expand 5G roaming to additional popular destinations before the end of 2021, suggesting that the infrastructure and partnerships required to support international 5G access are moving faster than many observers expected. For business travelers and leisure visitors from Malaysia, the service eliminates a gap that has long existed in mobile connectivity—the ability to maintain high-speed data access without switching carriers or paying premium roaming rates.
Citas Notables
We are pleased to have reached this important milestone with our roaming partners in these three countries and look forward to enabling our customers with the incredible speeds and latency of 5G when travelling.— Gokhan Ogut, Maxis CEO
Quieres la nota completa?
Lee el original en Digital News Asia ↗
Business