KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's ambitious roll-out of the superfast fifth-generation wireless network, simply known as 5G, is coming up against a spirited pushback from the country's powerful telcos determined to force a review of the government's plan to spearhead the programme itself rather than allow the private sector to take the lead.

Less than a month away from the proposed roll-out in several states in Peninsular Malaysia, Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB), the newly established state entity and sole owner of the 5G spectrum, has failed to draft any of the country's top local network operators as users largely due to unresolved issues over pricing and concerns that embracing the government's single wholesale network platform would adversely impact their current operations.