The agreement builds on a partnership between Maxis and CMI signed in 2024 to explore 5G initiatives and digital services
In sum – what to know:
First CMI MVNO in Malaysia – CMLink marks China Mobile International’s entry into the Malaysian MVNO market, expanding its global footprint beyond Europe and Asia.
Hosted on Maxis’ network – The service will run on Maxis’ nationwide 4G and 5G infrastructure, ensuring broad coverage and connectivity.
Cross-border connectivity – CMLink’s features target travelers, students, and professionals moving between China and Malaysia.
Malaysian telco Maxis and China Mobile International (CMI) have signed an agreement to launch CMLink, CMI’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service, in Malaysia, the former said in a release.
The announcement was made during the 2025 China Mobile SEA Cooperation Conference held in Kuala Lumpur.
CMLink will operate on Maxis’ nationwide 4G and 5G network, providing voice and data services for users in Malaysia. According to the companies, the service is designed for students and professionals moving between China and Malaysia, offering features such as one SIM card with multiple numbers and cross-border data sharing.
The venture marks CMI’s first MVNO launch in Malaysia, expanding its global footprint, which already includes services in the U.K, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and Italy.
The agreement builds on a partnership between Maxis and CMI, including a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2024 to explore 5G initiatives and digital services.
The Malaysian operator had stated that the MoU establishes a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating 5G initiatives and leveraging the combined strengths of both parties with the goal of fostering innovation and drive growth in the telecommunications sector.
The agreement outlines several key initiatives, including the development of private 5G networks, 5G consultation and applications, smart park solutions, advancements in artificial intelligence, as well as joint research and development projects. Both companies will also focus on sharing technical expertise and exploring new market opportunities.
Maxis also highlighted that the agreement will result in the creation of innovative digital solutions and enhanced service offerings, accelerating the deployment of 5G technologies in Malaysia and other markets.
Maxis also recently announced a collaboration with Chinese vendor Huawei Technologies on a joint innovation center focused on the development of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) technology to explore and develop innovative solutions to improve customer experience, operating efficiencies and industry use cases.
Under the terms of the strategic collaboration, Maxis and Huawei Malaysia will explore gigabit capacity to support mobile network expansions and 5G/5G-A technologies such as mobile edge computing, network slicing, end-to-end network orchestration, RedCap and Passive-IoT. Additionally, Maxis and Huawei Malaysia will also explore the implementation of digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to optimize network operating efficiencies.
Through a number of academia-industry engagements, training programs and R&D projects, the collaboration between Maxis and the Chinese vendor also aims to ensure that Malaysian talent is equipped with the skills needed to thrive in the rapidly evolving telecommunications and technology sector.
Earlier this year, Maxis said it successfully showcased what it claimed to be the first 5G-Advanced technology trial in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, in partnership with Huawei.
At the time, Maxis highlighted that the 5G-Advanced trial included a live speed test to demo 5G-Advanced’s capabilities to achieve ultra-fast peak speeds of up to 8Gbps. 5G-Advanced, which Huawei calls “5.5G”, promises up to 10 times improvement in speed, connected devices and latency compared to current 5G networks, Maxis said.
The demonstration booths featured interactive applications of the technology, including low-latency live streaming of various Kuala Lumpur city center views, live 3D content and immersive augmented reality (AR) experiences.
Maxis is currently offering 5G service in Malaysia via state-run 5G network Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB).
